cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased late sodium current contributes to long QT-related arrhythmia susceptibility in female mice

Aims Female gender is a risk factor for long QT-related arrhythmias, but the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. Here, we tested the hypothesis that gender-dependent function of the post-depolarization ‘late’ sodium current (INa-L) contributes. Methods and results Studies were conducted in mice in which the canonical cardiac sodium channel Scn5a locus was disrupted, and expression of human wild-type SCN5A cDNA substituted. Baseline QT intervals were similar in male and female mice, but exposure to the sodium channel opener anemone toxin ATX-II elicited polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in 0/9 males vs. 6/9 females. Ventricular INa-L and action potential durations were increased in myocytes isolated from female mice compared with those from males before and especially after treatment with ATX-II. Further, ATX-II elicited potentially arrhythmogenic early afterdepolarizations in myocytes from 0/5 male mice and 3/5 female mice. Conclusion These data identify variable late INa as a modulator of gender-dependent arrhythmia susceptibility.
Treatment with 50,000 IU vitamin D₂ every other week and effect on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃, and total 25-hydroxyvitamin D in a clinical setting.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of 50,000 IU-vitamin D₂ supplementation in a clinical setting on serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂ (25[OH]D₂), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25[OH]D₃). METHODS This retrospective cohort study was performed in an urban tertiary referral hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Patients who had been prescribed 50,000 IU vitamin D₂ repletion and maintenance programs were identified through a search of our electronic medical record. Baseline and follow-up total serum 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D₂, and 25(OH)D₃ levels were compared. RESULTS We examined the medical records of 48 patients who had been prescribed 50,000 IU vitamin D₂ in our clinic. Mean ± standard deviation baseline total 25(OH)D was 31.0 ± 10.6 ng/mL and rose to 48.3 ± 13.4 ng/mL after treatment (P<.001). 25(OH)D₂ increased from 4.2 ± 4.3 ng/mL to 34.6 ± 12.3 ng/mL after treatment (P<.001), for an average of 158 days (range, 35-735 days). Serum 25(OH)D₃ decreased from 26.8 ± 10.8 ng/mL to 13.7 ± 7.9 ng/mL (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Fifty thousand IU vitamin D₂ repletion and maintenance therapy substantially increases total 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D₂ despite a decrease in serum 25(OH)D₃. This treatment program is an appropriate and effective strategy to treat and prevent vitamin D deficiency.
Police academy training: are we teaching recruits what they need to know?

Police recruit training has come under scrutiny recently by both practitioners and academics who question the quality of education recruits receive prior to beginning their jobs. Past researchers have questioned whether the training adequately prepares recruits to be effective police officers. This study analyses the content of one police academy to determine if the training is sufficient. This was done by actually attending an academy training program as a recruit to determine what occurs within the academy setting. By comparing the content of this academy to the required elements identified in academic and practitioner’s literature, it was determined that this police academy is providing quality training to potential officers within time and budgetary constraints.
A simplified couette flow solution of non‐newtonian power‐law fluids in eccentric annuli

Les ecoulements de fluides non newtoniens dans les espaces annulaires concentrique et excentique sont d'une grande importance dans les boudineuses d'extrusion et dans le domaine des boues de forage pour le retrait des coupes de forage. Dans cette etude, on utilise un ecoulement de Couette laminaire stable de fluides non newtoniens de loi de puissance dans un espace annulaire excentrique afin d'analyser les problemes de surpression ou de pression de nettoyage qui se posent lorsque l'on fait deplacer ou que l'on tire des objets tubulaires (conduites) dans un trou rempli de liquide. Ce phenomene est similaire a l'espace anulaire cree par deux longs cylindres coaxiaux, dont le cylindre interieur se deplace a une vitesse stable, et le cylindre exterieur est stationnaire. La solution des equations de mouvement est presentee soit sous forme adimensionnelle soit sous forme d'un ensemble de courbes pour differents rapports d'excentricite conduite/trou et differentes valeurs d'indices de fluides de loi de puissance pour une application plus generale. L'erreur attendue dans le calcul de la surpression avec l'espace annulaire concentrique est evaluee en fonction de l'excentricite
The Transseptal Conduction Time in the Human Heart An Evaluation of Fusion Beats in Ventricular Parasystole

Four unusual cases of bundle-branch block with a parasystolic rhythm originating in the blocked ventricle are described. Varying interference of natural and parasystolic impulses permits calculation of the transseptal conduction time in man by two independent methods. The physiologic basis of each method is discussed and its validity confirmed by application to data from animal experiments available in the literature. The normal transseptal conduction time in the human heart is estimated to be 0.06 to 0.07 second in both directions. This is about twice as long as in the dog. Under pathologic conditions, it may lengthen to at least 0.115 second. A functionally "complete" bundle-branch block can result from a delay in impulse transmission down one of the bundle branches greater than the transseptal conduction time, and need not be due to total anatomic interruption of one bundle branch.
Transport across 1,9-decadiene precisely mimics the chemical selectivity of the barrier domain in egg lecithin bilayers

The barrier domain solubility-diffusion theory of lipid bilayer permeability relates the permeability coefficient (P(m)) to the solute's partition coefficient (PC(barrier/w)) and diffusion coefficient (D(barrier)) in the ordered chain region of the bilayer that serves as the barrier region for polar permeants. To select the best solvent to mimic the barrier domain, permeability coefficients across a layer of 1,9-decadiene were compared with permeability coefficients from bilayer transport. Rate constants for transport, k, of alpha-methyl substituted analogues of p-toluic and p-methylhippuric acid were measured across a layer of 1,9-decadiene embedded in a PTFE filter membrane placed between two aqueous solutions in side-by-side diffusion cells. Permeability coefficients (P(1,9-decadiene)) were normalized to that obtained for p-toluic acid, which was included in donor solutions. The correlation of log(P(bilayer)) versus log(P(1,9-decadiene)) was linear with a slope of 0.99 +/- 0.02 SD, indicating that 1,9-decadiene precisely mimics the egg lecithin bilayer barrier domain in its chemical selectivity. Using the decadiene membrane transport method to indirectly estimate partition coefficients for similarly sized permeants extended the range of measurable values beyond those readily attainable by the traditional shake-flask method, allowing measurement of 1,9-decadiene/water PCs as low as 3 x 10(-7).
Risk analysis of primary versus reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract Reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting is being performed with increasing frequency, in part as a function of the increasing pool of patients who have undergone initial coronary artery bypass grafting and in part because of the natural progression of atherosclerosis. The great majority of patients require reoperation because of graft atherosclerosis or because of a combination of graft and native-vessel disease. Significant risk factors for reoperation include the lack of an internal mammary artery graft or incomplete revascularization at the time of the primary operation, age, and New York State Heart Association classification. Despite an increasing experience with reoperations, operative mortality remains high, approximately three to five times that of initial bypass operation. Similarly, reoperations are associated with increased morbidity, including increased rates of bleeding and low output states. Specific problems encountered at reoperation include graft atherosclerosis, progression of native-vessel disease, and a significant increase in perioperative bleeding. Bypass ischemic times tend to be longer. The use of retrograde cardioplegia and blood conservation programs may prove to be effective solutions for these problems. If perioperative results can be improved, it would appear that the longterm outlook for these patients is reasonably good.
4′-Methyl-4,5′-bithiazole-based correctors of defective ΔF508-CFTR cellular processing

Abstract The synthesis and ΔF508-CFTR corrector activity of a 148-member methylbithiazole-based library are reported. Synthetic routes were devised and optimized to generate methylbithiazole analogs in four steps. Corrector potency and efficacy were assayed using epithelial cells expressing human ΔF508-CFTR. These structure–activity data establish that the bithiazole substructure plays a critical function; eight novel methylbithiazole correctors were identified with low micromolar potencies.
Segregation of boron to polycrystalline and single-crystal Si1−x−yGexCy and Si1−yCy layers

Abstract Strong boron segregation to polycrystalline Si 1− x − y Ge x C y alloys from Si has previously been reported [MRS Symp. Proc. 669 (2001) J6.9]. In this study, we investigate potential mechanisms for this effect. We find that comparable segregation also occurs in both polycrystalline Si 1− y C y and single-crystal Si 1− x − y Ge x C y , indicating neither Ge nor grain boundary effects are needed for it to occur. In addition, the stability of the electrical properties of polycrystalline Si 1− x − y Ge x C y with annealing suggests that inactive B–C defects are not forming. Point defect gradients are presented as a mechanism consistent with the electrical data.
Dual-energy vs conventional computed tomography in determining stone composition.

Objective To compare the accuracy between conventional computed tomography (CT) and dual-energy CT (DECT) in predicting stone composition in a blinded, prospective fashion. Methods A total of 32 renal stones with known composition were scanned in vitro, first using standard CT techniques at 120 kilovolt peak (kV[p]) and then using fast-switched kilovolt DECT at 80 and 140 kilovolt peak (kV[p]). For the DECT scan, a spectral curve was created demonstrating the change of Hounsfield units (HU) across the kiloelectron volt spectrum. The composition of each stone was estimated by comparing each sample curve with curves of known materials. To attempt stone determination using single-energy CT, the HU of each stone was compared with ranges reported in previous studies. The accuracy of each method was compared. Results Included were 27 stones large enough to allow analysis. Single-energy measurements accurately identified 14 of 27 stones of all composition (52%), whereas the DECT spectral curves correctly identified 20 (74%). When analyzed by stone type, single-energy vs DECT correctly identified 12 vs 12 of the 12 uric acid stones, 2 vs 3 of the 6 struvite stones, 0 vs 3 of the 5 cystine stones, and 0 vs 2 of the 4 calcium oxalate stones, respectively. When simply attempting to differentiate uric acid vs nonuric acid stones, single-energy CT could accurately differentiate only 6 of 15 stones as nonuric acid (40%) compared with 14 of 15 stones (93%) for DECT. Conclusion DECT appears to be superior to conventional CT in differentiating stone composition and is particularly accurate in differentiating nonuric acid from uric acid stones.
Understanding Anglers' Preferences for Fishing Tournament Characteristics and Policies

Saltwater fishing tournaments in the United States are generally not regulated nor are there different fishing regulations for tournament and nontournament anglers. Although much is known about those who participate in fishing tournaments in terms of their fishing motivations, attitudes, and characteristics, much less is known at the angler population level regarding their preferences for tournament opportunities. Using a stated preference choice model with hypothetical scenarios to simulate participation choices and understand preferences, study objectives were to identify angler preferences for various types of tournament fishing "products." Four tournament policy characteristics were investigated: promotion of catch and release, bait restrictions, whether a percentage of the tournament entrance fee should go to support fishery management activities, and whether a tournament should be a nonprofit or profit-making venture. Three expectation attributes were inserted: tournament size, trip cost per day, and whether a tournament is family friendly. We sent seven different versions of the mail questionnaire to 1,633 anglers. Of 795 returns, 648 were used for estimating conditional logit models. Analysis indicated that a scenario with no management interventions was not most preferred. Anglers most preferred a conservation-oriented option that introduced additional management measures. Overall, scenarios with management interventions were more favored than the status quo situation (with no management interventions). Although respondents showed reluctance to adopt other management-related options, results generally indicated they were increasingly concerned with sustainability of fish stocks and potential conflicts between tournament and nontournament users and preferred tournament products that reflect these concerns.
Rap1 and its regulatory proteins: The tumor suppressor, oncogene, tumor suppressor gene axis in head and neck cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is the sixth most common cancer, globally. Previously, we showed that Rap1GAP is a tumor suppressor gene that inhibits tumor growth, but promotes invasion in SCCHN. In this work, we discuss the role of Rap1 and Rap1GAP in SCCHN progression in the context of a microRNA-oncogene-tumor suppressor gene axis, and investigate the role of Rap1GAP in EZH2-mediated invasion. Loss of expression of microRNA-101 in SCCHN leads to upregulation of EZH2, a histone methyltransferase. Overexpression of EZH2 silences Rap1GAP via methylation, thereby promoting activation of its target, Rap1. This microRNA-controlled activation of Rap1, via EZH2-mediated silencing of Rap1GAP, is a novel mechanism of Rap1 regulation. In two independent SCCHN cell lines, downregulation of EZH2 inhibits proliferation and invasion. In both cell lines, stable knockdown of EZH2 (shEZH2) recovers Rap1GAP expression and inhibits proliferation. However, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Rap1GAP in these cells rescues proliferation but not invasion. Thus, EZH2 promotes proliferation and invasion via Rap1GAP-dependent and –independent mechanisms, respectively. Although the studies presented here are in the context of SCCHN, our results may have broader implications, given that Rap1GAP acts as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, and melanoma.
Relationships among energy consumption, pollution emission, and economic growth in Nepal

Abstract Solving the existing energy crisis, alleviating poverty, and mitigating the potential impacts of climate change have garnered significant attention of policy makers in Nepal. In this context, this paper examines the causal relationships among energy consumption, pollution emission, and economic growth for Nepal employing time series econometric methodology. Both Johansen cointegration and ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lag) bounds tests suggest presence of two cointegrating vectors, one when energy consumption and the other when carbon emissions are used as dependent variables. The Granger causality tests suggest presence of long-run bidirectional causality running from energy consumption to carbon emission and vice-versa and a unidirectional causality running from economic growth to both carbon emissions and energy consumption. These findings imply that policies that boost energy consumption may not spur economic growth, rather are more likely to exert adverse effects on the environment. On the other hand, energy conservation and carbon emission reduction policies would not impede the long-run economic growth. Policies that focus on alternative energy may be an approach in favor of mitigating climate change impacts while protecting environmental health and without a cost to the country's long-run economic growth.
Segregation and Immigration: An Examination of School Composition for Children of Immigrants.

Immigration in the U.S. continues to increase and to become increasingly diverse. About 20% of U.S. students are children of immigrants. This phenomenon is occurring as schools are racially and ethnically resegregating even as race-based decision making for K-12 schooling has been severely limited. This study examines school segregation for children of immigrants who are often an overlooked component of this phenomenon. Using a large national dataset, the author explores the extent to which children of immigrants are segregated from non-immigrants as well as the extent to which they are segregated from Whites. This study also examines how these relationships vary based on a student's race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Results show a society where children of immigrants are segregated in school, which carries with it a host of likely negative outcomes. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.
Slow axoplasmic transport of mitochondria (mao) and lactic dehydrogenase in mammalian nerve fibers

Abstract The axoplasmic transport of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO) (monoamine:O2 oxidoreductase, (deaminating) EC 1.4.3.4), a marker for mitochondria, and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) ( l -lactate_NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.27), a soluble component of axoplasm, was studied in cat sciatic nerve. For both these enzymes a linear accumulation was found in the nerve proximal to ligation over a period of at least 20 h. In double-ligation experiments no evidence of a depletion of enzymes within the nerve segment was found over this period of time as would be the case if some portion of the enzymes was carried fast axoplasmic transport. Both the soluble protein enzyme LDH and the mitochondria, shown by MAO, are thus considered to be moved down the nerve by slow axoplasmic transport. Some differences in the two materials were seen in the greater fall in the level of MAO compared to LDH within the double-ligated segment over the succeeding period from 20 to 48 h. These changes are considered with respect to the transport filament model as modified to take into account slow axoplasmic transport.
Naming Errors in Healthy Aging and Dementia of the Alzheimer Type

Naming errors were analyzed for healthy younger and older adults and patients with a diagnosis of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT). Three types of errors were identified, varying in relatedness to the target word: near synonyms; semantically related naming errors; and unrelated naming errors. Older adults made relatively more related errors than did younger adults. SDAT patients were distinguished by the number of unrelated responses given. In addition, SDAT patients who scored within the normal range were identified by the high number of response attempts relative to the number of initial errors. We suggest that error patterns on naming tasks may potentially serve as clinical markers to distinguish healthy older persons with mild naming disorders from patients with SDAT.
Effect of salmon calcitonin infusion on plasma concentrations of recently administered 45Ca.

The effect of intravenous salmon calcitonin (SCT) infusion on the net rate of loss from plasma of recently injected45Ca has been studied in conscious fasted rats, some of which had been previously thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX). The45Ca was injected 10 h prior to or 1 or 2 h after the initiation of the infusion. Salmon calcitonin (0.05–0.2 MRC mU/g body weight/h) infusion produced the expected hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia. The drop in plasma calcium levels produced by the hormone was lowered further by the addition of phosphate to the infusate. Plasma45Ca changes, during SCT infusion, followed a biphasic pattern when the radionuclide injection preceded SCT infusion by 10 h. During the first part of the infusion, the rate of loss of45Ca from plasma was greater in SCT-treated than in control rats. Later, this pattern reversed, and the rate of loss of45Ca from plasma became slower in SCT-treated animals. If45Ca was injected after SCT infusion was initiated only the second phase of the biphasic effect was observed; i.e., disappearance of45Ca from plasma was slower in SCT-infused than in control rats. These data are considered to support the hypothesis that rapid and opposing calcium fluxes exist between bone fluid and plasma, and that calcitonin acts by decreasing the calcium efflux from bone fluid. The calcium moved in this efflux system includes some that has only recently entered bone fluid from plasma. This is the explanation given for the initial decrease in plasma45Ca concentrations following SCT infusion. The reverse effect in the second phase can be explained as the result of a secondary reduction in calcium influx to bone fluid from plasma.
Advances in the active alignment system for the IXO optics

The next large x-ray astrophysics mission launched will likely include soft x-ray spectroscopy as a primary capability. A requirement to fulfill the science goals of such a mission is a large-area x-ray telescope focusing sufficient x-ray flux to perform high-resolution spectroscopy with reasonable observing times. The IXO soft x-ray telescope effort in the US is focused on a tightly nested, thin glass, segmented mirror design. Fabrication of the glass segments with the required surface accuracy is a fundamental challenge; equally challenging will be the alignment of the ~7000 secondary mirror segments with their corresponding primary mirrors, and co-alignment of the mirror pairs. We have developed a system to perform this alignment using a combination of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and a double-pass Hartmann test alignment system. We discuss the technique, its ability to correct low-order mirror errors, and results of a recent pair alignment including progress toward the required alignment accuracy of < 2 arcseconds, and discuss the influence of the alignment process on mirror figure. We then look forward toward its scalability to the task of building the IXO telescope.
Winter burning and the reduction of Cornus sericea in sedge meadows in Southern Wisconsin.

To control shrubs, which are increasing in dominance in wetlands worldwide, winter burning may be an important tool, especially from the perspective of minimizing urban hazards. The goal of this project was to determine if winter burning was successful in reducing the dominance (mean percentage cover and maximum height) of Cornus sericea in sedge meadows in southern Wisconsin, where shrubs proliferated after cattle were excluded. Experimental burn and control plots were set up within sedge meadows, including an ungrazed “reference” site that had been little, if ever, grazed and a “historically grazed” site, a recovery site that had not been grazed by cattle since 1973. None of the dominant species including C. sericea was significantly affected by burning for either mean percentage cover or maximum height (analysis of variance: no burning × species interaction). Both mean percentage cover and maximum height were only weakly related to burning (28.1 and 14.3% of the variability contributed to the cumulative percentage of the coefficient of determination, respectively) at both sites based on non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. Although species richness increased in burned plots in 1999 and 2000, no differences were apparent between pre-burned and unburned plots in 1997 and unburned plots in 1999 and 2000 (analysis of variance: year × burning interaction). After burning in the ungrazed site, herbaceous species appeared that had not been detected for decades, including Chelone glabra and Lathyrus palustris. Exotic species were present in both the ungrazed reference and recovery site. Although winter burning treatments did not reduce the dominance of woody shrub species in the site recovering from cattle grazing, burning was useful in stimulating the maintenance of species richness in the ungrazed sedge meadow.
Reliability of low-power laser diodes

The potential applications of space systems employing laser diodes in guidance, control, and scientific instruments have begun to emerge. For example, the Near Earth Asteroid Rondezvous (NEAR) project sponsored by NASA will contain a laser rangefinder. NEAR is a 4-year mission. For the first 3 years (about 26,000 h) it will cruise to the asteroid Eros, and its laser diodes will be dormant. A fourth year will be spent in orbit around Eros and will require the diodes to operate reliably for about 10,000 h. The array of laser diodes will be used to pump a Nd:YAG element in the Near laser transmitter.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Virtual optical network embedding considering mixed transparent and translucent virtual links

An intelligent virtual optical network embedding approach is proposed, which minimizes the network resource usage of each request. Both transparent and translucent virtual optical link embedding is considered as specifically required by virtual optical links.
Real-time automated three-dimensional recognition of micro/nano biological organisms

We present an overview of optical imaging system for 3D visualization and recognition of micro/nano biological organisms. For 3D sensing of a biological specimen, the diffraction pattern of the specimen is recorded on charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor. The recorded hologram is then transferred to the computer where 3D images of the specimen at different depths along the longitudinal direction are numerically reconstructed by using inverse Fresnel transformation. For 3D recognition and identification of micro/nano biological organisms, image segmentation algorithms are performed to identify regions of interest for further processing and then statistical classifiers using maximum likelihood estimator are used to classify the detected specimen into one of previously trained classes. It is shown in the experiments that the proposed system is useful for 3D sensing, recognition and classification of different biological specimen.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CERTAIN ACTIONS OF ADRENALIN IN THE CAT AND THE RABBIT

The present investigation brought out the facts that the pupil of the cat is little affected by instillation of adrenalin, but shows, nevertheless, a greater responsiveness to adrenalin when given intravenously than does that of the rabbit, and that the duration of the dilatation effected by intravenous injection is, on the contrary, longer in the rabbit. In regard to the vasoconstricting effect of adrenalin when administered intravenously, it was found that the intensity as well as the duration of the rise of blood pressure was greater in the rabbit than in the cat.
La fin de l’aide sociale telle qu’on la connaît : la réforme de la sécurité du revenu aux États-Unis

Au cours du premier mandat du president Clinton, de 1992 a 1996, on a assiste a d’intenses debats sur la forme que devrait prendre l’aide sociale aux Etats-Unis. Dans une periode de rapides mutations economiques et sociales, sources d’insecurite, l’insatisfaction face a un systeme de securite du revenu n’offrant que tres peu de soutien aux travailleurs pauvres et aux familles de classe moyenne, par exemple, a mene a l’adoption de compressions draconiennes des depenses d’aide sociale. Cet article en etablit le contexte, analyse les debats et les enjeux et examine les perspectives d’avenir.
Hurricane effects on backreef echinoderms of the Caribbean

The impacts of Hurricanes Gilbert (1988) and Hugo (1989) on echinoderm assemblages were assessed in backreef habitats in Jamaica and St. Croix, respectively. One site on each island was censused before the hurricanes. Ophiuroids were monitored at the Jamaican site for three years following Hurricane Gilbert, and ophiuroids and echinoids were monitored at the site on St. Croix for two years following Hurricane Hugo. No hurricane-related changes in ophiuroid abundance were observed at either site. Likewise, there was no evidence that Hurricane Hugo altered echinoid abundance at St. Croix. These negative results correlated with an observed lack of hurricane-generated physical disturbance in the backreef areas, despite 6-m waves that broke on the reef crests at the two sites during the storms. Hurricane impacts on mobile faunas appear to depend directly on physical habitat alterations.
Self‐Assembling Cyclic Peptide Cylinders as Nuclei for Crystal Engineering

A supramolecular recognition interface is formed through the self-assembly of cyclic D,L-peptides. Phenyl-phenyl interactions direct the solid-state organization of dimeric peptide cyclo[(-L-Phe-D-Me N-Ala-L-hPhe-D-Me N-Ala)2 ] (1) by forming clusters of edge-to-face contacts between dimers (shown left), which suggests that these peptide scaffolds may be useful subunits for crystal engineering.
Silviculture with saline water.

Mangroves are the trees and shrubs that grow in the edge of the sea and thus are cultivated with saline waters. Their principal product is wood, a renewable resource that substitutes for fossil fuels. Management of mangroves requires little fossil fuel expenditure and mangrove forests produce prawns, finfish and shellfish as byproducts. It is proposed that attention to aspects of mangrove management, physiology and ecology, breeding and selection, and biological spin-off products should make it possible to increase mangrove area and productivity for the benefit of people living along many tropical and subtropical shores of the world.
An Energy-Conserving System for Orchard Cold Protection

Abstract The possibility of protecting an orchard against cold by enclosing it under a screen cover was studied in a preliminary field test. At the onset of freezing temperatures, water was sprinkled on the screen, forming a continuous sheet of thin ice. The screen and ice cover effectively reduced heat loss from the experimental enclosure. Simulated twig temperatures were 2°–10°C warmer inside the enclosure during a variety of weather conditions, with outside air temperatures as low as −20°C. When outside air temperatures were −5°C, the inside simulated twig temperature could be held above the critical level for even tender blossoms by briefly sprinkling water under the screen at 10- to 15-min intervals. Although a screen cover and sprinkler system would be expensive to install, it could provide excellent cold protection and would be less expensive to operate than conventional orchard heaters and wind machines. Cooler daytime temperatures under the screen suggest the additional possibilities of dormancy control and reduced evapotranspiration.
SCALE EFFECTS ON THE STRESSES AND SAFETY FACTORS IN THE WING BONES OF BIRDS AND BATS

The effects of scale on the estimated stresses and safety factors in the humeri of several bird and bat species were investigated. This was accomplished by estimating the lift distribution across the wings at two extremes of flight, gliding flight and the downstroke in hovering, finding the center of lift on the wings at these two extremes and calculating the applied bending and twisting moments. This information, along with measurements of mechanically important morphological variables, allowed for estimates of bending and shearing stresses in the humeri for both gliding flight and on the downstroke in hovering. The stresses in flapping flight other than hovering should fall somewhere between these two values. It was found that the stresses in the humeri are not scale-dependent and that the bending stresses are slightly lower than those found in the limbs of terrestrial animals, while the shearing stresses are larger than those in terrestrial limbs. The breaking stress of bird and bat wing bone was also investigated. Both materials were found to have a lower breaking stress than that of typical long bone material. The ratio between the breaking stress of the material and the estimated stresses was defined as the safety factor. Bird humeri have safety factors that are generally greater than those of bat humeri. This is because bat bone has a lower breaking stress than does bird bone, although the estimated stresses in the wings are similar. The mean safety factor against failure due to bending in gliding flight was 6.63 for birds and 3.99 for bats. In hovering, the mean safety factors against failure due to bending were 2.22 for birds and 1.41 for bats. The safety factors against failure due to shearing stresses were estimated to be seven times greater than those against failure due to pure bending stresses.
The Significance of Relationships: Academic Engagement and Achievement Among Newcomer Immigrant Youth

Background/Context: Newcomer immigrant students are entering schools in the United States in unprecedented numbers. As they enter new school contexts, they face a number of challenges in their adjustment. Previous literature suggested that relationships in school play a particularly crucial role in promoting socially competent behavior in the classroom and in fostering academic engagement and school performance. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the role of school-based relationships in engagement and achievement in a population of newcomer immigrant students. Research Design: The Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study (LISA) used a mixed-methods approach, combining longitudinal, interdisciplinary, qualitative, and quantitative approaches to document adaptation patterns of 407 recently arrived immigrant youth from Central America, China, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico over the course of five years. Based on data from the last year of the study, we examine how the role of relationships mediates newcomers’ challenges with academic engagement and performance. We identify factors that account for patterns of academic engagement and achievement, including country of origin, gender, maternal education, English language proficiency, and school-based relationships. Findings: Multiple regression analyses suggest that supportive school-based relationships strongly contribute to both the academic engagement and the school performance of the par
Personal digital assistant (PDA) based I2C bus analysis

Personal digital assistants are lightweight, inexpensive, and ubiquitous. Furthermore, they have desktop class operating systems features supported by industrial strength development tools. These devices provide an ideal platform for deploying a practical platform for I2C bus analysis. In this paper, we propose a low-cost, highly portable I2C bus analyzer on a PalmOS based PDA. We describe the hardware interface, the supporting libraries, and the PalmOS-complaint application. The proposed approach is flexible and supports the creation of additional bus analyzer applications by third parties. The example bus analyzer application described here provides three operating modes, passive snooping, active bus mastering, and active slave device emulation. Each mode function over number of user-selectable data rates.
A general approach to modeling conduction and concentration dynamics in excitable cells of concentric cylindrical geometry.

This paper discusses mathematical approaches for modeling the propagation of the action potential and ion concentration dynamics in a general class of excitable cells and cell assemblies of concentric cylindrical geometry. Examples include myelinated and unmyelinated axons, single strands of interconnected cardiac cells and outer hair cells. A key feature in some of the cells is the presence of a small working volume such as the periaxonal space between the myelin sheath and the axon in the myelinated axon and the extracisternal space between the plasma membrane and the subsurface cisterna of the outer hair cell. Proper treatment of these cell types requires a modeling approach which can readily address these anatomical properties and the non-uniform biophysical properties of the concentric membranes and the ionic composition of the volumes between the membranes. An electrodiffusion approach is first developed in which the Nernst-Planck equation is used to characterize axial ion fluxes. It is then demonstrated that this "full" model can be stepwise reduced, eventually becoming equivalent to the standard cable equation formulation. This is done in a manner that permits direct comparisons between the full and simplified models by running simulations using a single parameter set. An intermediate approach where the contributions of the axial currents to ion concentration changes and the effect of varying ion concentrations on solution conductivities are ignored is derived and is found adequate in many cases. Two application examples are given: a "cardiac strand" model, for which the intermediate formulation is shown sufficient and a model of the myelinated axon, for which the full electrodiffusion formulation is clearly necessary. The latter finding is due to spatial inhomogeneities in the anatomy and distribution of ion channels and transporters in the myelinated axon and the restricted periaxonal space between the myelin sheath and the axon.
Outcomes of AngioJet® thrombectomy in hemodialysis vascular access grafts and fistulas: PEARL I Registry

PurposeResults are reported from the PEARL I Registry for procedures where a mid-length AngioJet catheter was used for thrombosed hemodialysis arteriovenous grafts and fistulae.MethodsThe PEARL I R...
Burst Stimulation Improves Hemodynamics During Resuscitation after Prolonged Ventricular Fibrillation

Background —Although return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is frequently achieved during resuscitation for sudden cardiac arrest, systolic blood pressure can then decrease, requiring additional myocardial support. Previous studies have shown that a series of 1-ms electrical pulses delivered through the defibrillation patches during ventricular fibrillation (VF) can stimulate the autonomic nervous system to increase myocardial function following defibrillation. We hypothesized that a similar series of electrical pulses could increase myocardial function and blood pressure during the early post-resuscitation period. Methods and Results —Six swine were studied that underwent 6-7 min. Each animal received 5, 10, 15, or 20 pulse packets consisting of 6 10 A, 1-ms pulses every 3-4 s in random order whenever systolic blood pressure became less than 50 mmHg. All four sets of pulse packets were delivered to each animal. Systolic blood pressure and cardiac function (left ventricular +dP/dt) were increased to pre-stimulation levels or above by all four sets of pulse packets. The increases were significantly greater for the longer than the shorter number of pulse packets. The mean±SD duration of the time that the systolic pressure remained above 50 mmHg following pulse delivery was 4.2±2.5 min. Conclusions —Electrical stimulation during regular rhythm following prolonged VF and resuscitation can increase blood pressure and cardiac function to above pre-arrest levels.
Identification of the patient with enlarged prostate: diagnosis and guidelines for management

Benign enlargement of the prostate, also referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a common condition in men. Because enlarged prostate (EP) was viewed historically as a symptomatic condition, management of voiding symptoms with α-blockers was often the goal of therapy. However, it is now recognized that EP is a progressive disorder, which may be complicated by acute urinary retention and which may eventually require EP-related surgery. The 5α-reductase inhibitors decrease dihydrotestosterone levels, which slow disease progression by causing regression of the prostate epithelial cells. These agents are considered disease modifying, and they may reduce the progression of prostate enlargement. This article reviews evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for EP, and it provides a practical algorithm for management of patients with EP.
Efficient Transmission of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Viruses with High-Level Oseltamivir Resistance

The limited availability of approved influenza virus antivirals highlights the importance of studying the fitness and transmissibility of drug-resistant viruses. S247N is a novel, naturally occurring N1 neuraminidase mutation that reduces oseltamivir sensitivity and greatly potentiates oseltamivir resistance in the context of the H275Y mutation. Here we show that highly oseltamivir-resistant viruses containing both the S247N and H275Y mutations transmit efficiently in the guinea pig transmission model.
A method-of-characteristics calculation of coronary blood flow

The one-dimensional unsteady flow equations for flow in an elastic tube have been solved by employing the method of characteristics and used to predict the development of the flow and pressure wave forms in the left coronary artery system of the horse. Input data to this model include in vivo measurements of wave speed and aortic-root pressure, both of which were carried out in horse experiments. In addition, estimates of vessel taper and fluid losses due to branching were established from plastic casts of the horse coronary arteries and from in vivo flowmeter data. The calculated results have confirmed earlier experiments in revealing a relatively large systolic component of flow in the major epicardial vessels. However, the calculations indicate that, once within the myocardium, the systolic flow component quickly diminishes and the diastolic flow component becomes increasingly important. The pressure pulse does not peak as observed in the aorta, but rather rounds out with systolic pressures decreasing slowly and diastolic pressures decreasing more rapidly with distance from the coronary ostium. The presence of relatively large amplitude, low frequency waves (of the order of 5–10 Hz), which were observed mainly during diastole in horse experiments, has also been confirmed by the computer calculations. Similar calculations carried out for conditions simulating the dog and human coronary systems indicate that such oscillations become higher in frequency and lower in amplitude with decreasing animal size.
A framework for energy-scalable communication in high-density wireless networks

Power-aware communication is essential for maximizing the life-time of energy-constrained wireless devices. Applications running on such devices can cooperatively reduce communication energy by trading communication latency, reliability, or range for energy savings. We introduce a framework that exposes these high level trade-offs to a power-aware communication subsystem featuring variable-strength convolutional coding, an adjustable power amplifier, and a voltage-scaled processor. An application programming interface (API) exposes an application's minimum quality constraints on the communication. These constraints are translated into energy-efficient parameter settings for the communication hardware. We apply our framework to improved communication energy models and measurements from a wireless microsensor node to effect over an order of magnitude of energy scalability.
A‐to‐I RNA Editing and Human Genetic Disease

The regulation of when, where and how genomic information is utilised in cells and organisms is just as important for normal physiology as the deoxyribonucleic acid sequence itself. One important molecular tool at the disposal of eukaryotic cells is the process of ribonucleic acid (RNA) editing, which involves the recoding of genomically specified sequences within primary RNA transcripts. One kind of RNA editing, A-to-I modification, turns out to regulate the expression and function of various genes as well as enhance the functional and phenotypic diversity within the transcriptome and proteome. Recent insights on the A-to-I RNA-editing machinery and the discovery of many additional editing targets, especially within mammalian species, underscore the importance of editing for normal physiology and also uncover strong links to human genetic diseases. Harnessing that knowledge could lead to approaches for treating RNA editing-related disorders or even to the development of RNA-directed gene therapy technologies. Key Concepts: RNA editing regulates protein function. RNA editing diversifies the transcriptome and proteome. ADARs mediate A-to-I RNA editing. Important editing sites include many noncoding RNAs. Some editing events are essential for survival. Many editing sites await functional characterisation. Deregulation of RNA editing can lead to disease. Keywords: RNA editing; inosine; adenosine deaminase; epilepsy; cancer; neurological disorder; autoimmune disease; gene therapy
The Relationship of Fasting Serum Radioimmune Insulin Levels to Incident Coronary Heart Disease in an Insulin-Treated Diabetic Cohort

It is not known whether insulin levels, in the setting of insulin treatment, are an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). We studied a cohort of 116 insulin-treated individuals, 65 yr or older, who were followed for 5.6–9 yr. All were free of CHD at baseline. There were 47 incident CHD events. In Cox proportional hazards modeling, with fasting immune-reactive insulin levels as a continuous variable, the hazard ratio for CHD was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). When insulin levels were divided into intervals, those in the third interval [43–150 μU/ml (258–900 pmol/liter)] had an adjusted 30% increased relative risk (95% confidence interval, 0.57, 2.98) compared with those in the first interval [<20 μU/ml (<120 pmol/liter)]. Those in the fourth interval [151–400 μU/ml (906–2400 pmol/liter)] had an adjusted 5.6-fold increased risk (2.3–13.1; P < 0.0001). Approximately 15% of the cohort had such elevated insulin levels. Immune-reactive insulin levels were strongly correlated with sp...
Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-negative chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML): a clonal disease with origin in a multipotent stem cell

It has been shown with glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) mosaicism that Ph1-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a clonal disease that involves multipotent hematopoietic stem cells. We now report G-6-PD studies of a 79-yr-old woman with Ph1-negative CML. Equal amounts of B and A-type activities were found in nonhematopoietic tissues, indicating that the patient was heterozygous for G-6-PD. In contrast, only A-type G-6-PD was found in marrow cells, blood erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets and in granulocyte-monocyte and eosinophil colonies grown from blood mononuclear cells. Unlike most cases of PH1-positive CML, colony growth in this patient increased during blastic transformation and the colonies contained only immature monocytic cells. The data indicate that in this patient, Ph1-negative CML is similar to the Ph1-positive form of the disease in involvement of multipotent stem cells and probable clonal origin, but the two disorders differ in the rapidity with which they enter blastic transformation and in the pattern of granulocyte-monocyte colony growth at that time.
TUNICA VAGINALIS IN ARTHROPLASTY OF SMALL JOINTS

Experimentally in dogs and clinically in human beings, tunica vaginalis has been found to be a suitable membrane for covering raw surfaces in arthroplasty of the smaller joints. The secreting surface of the tunica vaginalis is turned toward the joint cavity and the fibrous elastic layer is placed against the denuded bone surface. It is believed that, in male patients, the tunica vaginalis is the most satisfactory interposing membrane which can be used in arthroplasty of the small joints.