cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Functional Approach to Teaching Generalized Street Crossing.

The effects of general case instruction for teaching street crossing to individuals with moderate and severe mental retardation were examined. Three dependent variables were assessed within a multiple baseline probe design across subjects. The first measure was performance across a group of 20 nontrained streets systematically selected to represent the range of street crossing situations encountered in the subjects' home town. The second dependent variable was performance across 20 additional nontrained streets selected individually for each subject by parents or guardians as particularly relevant in the subject's daily life. The third dependent variable was the number of training trials to criterion. Two subjects completed training with the third serving as a no-treatment control. Results support the effectiveness and efficiency of general case instruction for teaching subjects to cross nontrained streets. Implications for further research on generalization and for instructional programming in the commun...
Lygus spp. (Heteroptera: Miridae) Host-Plant Interactions with Lesquerella fendleri (Brassicaceae), a New Crop in the Arid Southwest

Lesquerella fendleri is a new crop being cultivated in the arid Southwest for the hydroxy fatty acids found in its seed oils; however, little is know about the agricultural pests that will affect the seed production of this crop or the role the crop may have as a possible source or sink for current agricultural pests in the Arizona landscape. In the early spring, lygus bugs, some of our most important agricultural pests, are normally found in relatively small numbers on weeds; however, as lesquerella production increases, it may serve as an important early-season host for lygus. Here we present results from olfactometer bioassays that showed a significant attraction by Lygus hesperus females to volatiles associated with flowering lesquerella. Headspace volatiles of flowering lesquerella were collected and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and phenylacetaldehyde (PAA) was found to be the major component, followed by benzaldehyde and Z-3- hexenyl acetate. In the field, we examined the Lygus spp. complex, as well as the prevalence of other herbivores and select predators, and monitored their responses to unbaited sticky traps of various colors and PAA-baited green and blue sticky traps. Green, blue, and clear sticky traps captured significantly more Lygus spp. (L. elisus in particular) than opaque yellow and red traps, but PAA-baited blue and green traps did not capture more lygus than unbaited traps. Collops spp., however, were collected in higher numbers on PAA-baited traps, suggesting that this compound might provide a means of recruiting and/or retaining this particular natural enemy.
Calculation of incoherent quantum 1/f frequency fluctuations in low-Q BAW and SAW quartz resonators

Quantum 1/f frequency fluctuations arise both in bulk acoustic wave and surface acoustic wave quartz resonators from the presence of the quantum 1/f effect in the process rates which remove phonons from the main oscillator mode. Therefore, these fluctuations come from the quantum 1/f noise present in the dissipation rate. The present paper includes the incoherence effects caused by the finite "size" of the phonons, measured by their finite intrinsic coherence length. The result of this calculation is a non-monotonic dependence of the 1/f frequency noise on resonator volume, marked first by a linear increase, and followed by a inverse proportionality with volume, as noticed by T.E. Parker at NIST. The I/V dependence is similar to the behavior noticed for current carriers in semiconductors and metals, where the coherence length refers to electrons and is much smaller.
Immunochemical analysis of the vacuolar proton-ATPase B-subunit in the gills of a euryhaline stingray (Dasyatis sabina): effects of salinity and relation to Na+/K+-ATPase

SUMMARY In the gills of freshwater teleost fishes, vacuolar proton-ATPase (V-H + -ATPase) is found on the apical membrane of pavement and chloride (Na + /K + -ATPase-rich) cells, and is an important transporter for energizing Na + uptake and H + excretion. In the gills of elasmobranch fishes, the V-H + -ATPase has not been extensively studied and its expression in freshwater individuals has not been examined. The goals of this study were to examine the effects of environmental salinity on the expression of V-H + -ATPase in the gills of an elasmobranch (the Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina ) and determine if V-H + -ATPase and Na + /K + -ATPase are expressed in the same cells. We found that gills from freshwater stingrays had the highest relative abundance of V-H + -ATPase and greatest number of V-H + -ATPase-rich cells, using immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry, respectively. When freshwater animals were acclimated to sea water for 1 week, V-H + -ATPase abundance and the number of V-H + -ATPase-rich cells decreased significantly. Atlantic stingrays from seawater environments were characterized by the lowest expression of V-H + -ATPase and least number of V-H + -ATPase-rich cells. In contrast to teleost fishes, localization of V-H + -ATPase in freshwater stingray gills was not found in pavement cells and occurred on the basolateral membrane in cells that are presumably rich in mitochondria. In freshwater stingrays acclimated to sea water and seawater stingrays, V-H + -ATPase localization appeared qualitatively to be stronger in the cytoplasm, which may suggest the transporter was stored in vesicles. Using a double-immunolabeling technique, we found that V-H + -ATPase and Na + /K + -ATPase occurred in distinct cells, which suggests there may be two types of mitochondrion-rich cells in the elasmobranch gill epithelium. Based on these findings, we propose a unique model of NaCl and acid–base regulation where the V-H + -ATPase-rich cells and Na + /K + -ATPase-rich cells are the sites of Cl – uptake/HCO 3 – excretion and Na + uptake/H + excretion, respectively.
On the strategic potential of technological aid in international environmental relations

Prior to noncooperative choices of abatement of a transboundary pollutant, a technologically advanced country considers making an unconditional transfer of abatement technology to its less-advanced rival. Even though technological aid is given unconditionally and abatement strategies are chosen noncooperatively, in a number of plausible circumstances, a transfer of a superior control technology will induce Pareto-superior pollution abatement.
Absence of acute cerebral vasoconstriction after cocaine-associated subarachnoid hemorrhage

Introduction: Cocaine use has been associated with neurovascular complications, including arterial vasoconstriction and vasculitis. However, there are few studies of angiographic effects of cocaine on human cerebral arteries. Information on these effects could be obtained from angiograms of patients with cocaine-associated subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) who underwent angiography shortly after cocaine use. Methods: We screened patients with SAH retrospectively and identified those with positive urine toxicology for cocaine or its metabolites. Quantitative arterial diameter measurements from angiograms of these patients were compared to measurements from control patients with SAH who were matched for factors known to influence arterial diameter. Qualitative comparisons of small artery changes also were made. Results: Thirteen patients with positive cocaine toxicology were compared to 26 controls. There were no significant differences between groups in the mean diameters of the intradural internal carotid, sphenoidal segment of the middle cerebral, precommunicating segment of the anterior cerebral, or basilar arteries (p greater than 0.05 for all comparisons, unpaired t-tests). There also were no significant differences between groups when expressing diameters as the sum of the precommunicating segment of the anterior cerebral + sphenoidal segment of the middle cerebral + supraclinoid internal carotid artery + basilar artery divided by the diameter of the petrous internal carotid artery (p greater than 0.05, unpaired t-tests). Qualitative assessments showed two arterial irregularities in the distal vasculature in each group. Conclusion: No quantitative evidence for narrowing of large cerebral arteries or qualitative angiographic evidence for distal narrowing or vasculitis could be found in patients who underwent angiography after aneurysmal SAH associated with cocaine use.
Comparison of conventional magnification mammography using film screen mammography and electronic magnification

The detection of breast microcalcifications is an important finding that can indicate the presence of breast cancer. Once detected, the radiologist attempts to classify the microcalcifications into patterns that are associated with benign or malignant processes. If they cannot be so classified they are considered indeterminate calcifications. Those characteristics of the microcalcifications that are used in this important distinction are the shape and number of calcifications and the presence or absence of any change from a prior mammogram. (1-4) Geometric magnification views are often obtained to provide better visualization of the microcalcifications. Although conventional screen film mammography has sufficient high contrast resolution (20 line pairs per mm (lplmm)) to demonstrate these findings and the type of hand held magnifying lens often used by Radiologists has sufficient power to demonstrate more than 30 lp/mm, in practice, the region containing the microcalcifications is often in a low contrast region of the image and the hand held magnifying lens does not suffice. We produce electronic magnification views of the breast by taking an existing screen film mammogram and digitizing it with a small pixel size. (5) The image is then displayed on a monitor or printed on a laser printer that has a larger pixel size, thereby resulting in magnification. The visibility of the calcifications is enhanced by changing the window level and window width to increase optical density or to decrease luminance and to increase contrast. The effect of these two actions is to correct in part for the low contrast in the original image. Three potential benefits results from electronic magnification: 1. The current film on which calcifications are seen can be magnified and evaluated without the patient having to return for a geometric magnification view. 2. The prior mammogram (if of suboptimal quality) can be digitized and re-displayed to better determine whether the microcalcifications have changed. 3. The digitized image may allow the reclassification of calcifications from benign appearance to a pattern suggestive of cancer, thereby resulting in an earlier decision to biopsy.
Flotation behavior of nickel arsenide

Abstract Platinum group minerals are closely associated with nickel arsenides in copper-nickel sulfide bearing Duluth gabbro. To improve their flotation recoveries, the flotation behavior of nickel arsenide was investigated. Nickel arsenide floated well with xanthate and mercaptan. However, nickel arsenide was extremely susceptible to oxidation and its floatability decreased markedly. XPS indicated that surface coating containing nickel hydroxide and arsenic trioxide was formed on oxidized nickel arsenide. Its floatability could be improved by using inert atmosphere and copper sulfate activation. Flotation behavior of cuprous arsenide, XPS and SEM suggested the formation of cuprous arsenide at the surface.
Does Side Make a Difference? Anatomical Differences Between the Left and Right Ureter.

Objectives Seventy to eighty percent of iatrogenic ureteral injuries involve the left ureter. We sought to evaluate potential anatomical differences between the left and right ureters that may contribute to this discrepancy. Methods A retrospective image review was undertaken of women who underwent computed tomography urograms between 2012 and 2013. The distance to the ureters from the midline was measured at the level of the sacral promontory (S1) and the cervix. Cervical deviation from the midline was measured, and distance between the cervix and ureters was calculated. The anterior-posterior distance between ureters was also measured. Results Ninety-five computed tomography urograms were analyzed. The mean age was 56 years (range, 23-92 years). Mean cervical deviation was 2.9 mm left of the midline (P = 0.028). The left ureter was 4.2 mm more lateral than the right at S1 and 2.7 mm more lateral at the cervix (P = 0.000 and 0.001). There was no significant difference when accounting for cervical deviation (P = 0.220). The left ureter was 1.9 mm more anterior than the right at the cervix (P = 0.012). Age, body mass index, and ethnicity did not affect the ureteral position. Conclusions Based on midline measurements, the left ureter courses 2 to 4 mm more lateral and anterior than does the right ureter. The cervix is also positioned 2 to 4 mm to the left side, and as a result, the ureters are actually symmetric to the cervix. Although seemingly small, 2 to 4 mm is the width range of a Heaney clamp. These anatomic differences may be a contributing factor to the increase in ureteral injuries on the left side compared with the right.
Note-A Note on Computing Periodic Inspection Policies

Certain systems must be inspected in order to discover failures that would otherwise go undetected. Periodic inspection is the most commonly used inspection policy and is the optimal policy form for some inspection models. Determining the optimal periodic inspection interval, however, would involve a numerical search and require knowledge of the underlying failure distribution. This note examines the cost performance of an existing simple approximation of the optimal inspection interval and presents a new approximation. The new approximation is computationally simple, and outperforms the existing approximation. The new approximation yields expected total costs that are typically well within one percent of optimal.
Magnitude MR image denoising via CURE-optimized non-local means

During their acquisition, magnetic resonance (MR) images are affected by random noise, causing the observed magnitude image samples to be Rician distributed. In order to reduce the noise level while preserving the relevant image features, we develop an optimized Non-Local Means (NLM) denoising algorithm. The most sensitive parameters of the proposed NLM estimator are optimized on the squared-magnitude image, which follows a non-central chi-square distribution on two degrees of freedom. This minimum MSE optimization is performed via the minimization of the so-called chi-square unbiased risk estimate (CURE). Taking advantage of some acceleration techniques involving convolutions and parallel computation, we show that the proposed CURE-optimized NLM outperforms some state-of-the-art NLM algorithms with no increase in computation time.
The Free Surface Turbulent Shear layer

Abstract In applying the Wall layer analogy to a wind blown free surface it is necessary to decide in what coordinate system such an anology is realistic. A smoothed sea surface is taken to be that produced by the nearly irrotational components of the wave field, relegating irregular, dissipative wavelets to turbulence. It is then possible to regard wave motion and shear flow as independent, except for the vortex force effect of Stokes drift, discussed by Leibovich. An analysts or the available observations shows that the free surface shear layer has many of the characteristics of the wall layer. A major difference is a much larger roughness parameter, arising presumably from direct energy input to surface turbulence by the wind. Velocity gradients near the free surface are much smaller then over a solid wall under otherwise comparable conditions.
Severe hypokalemia, paralysis, and AIDS-associated isospora belli diarrhea.

Abstract Background: Hypokalemia of clinical significance, severe enough to cause paralysis and cardiac dysrhythmias, is an uncommon life-threatening medical disorder. Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HPP), where an abrupt intracellular shift of potassium has occurred, must be distinguished from hypokalemic non-periodic paralysis (non-HPP), where a total body potassium deficit exists. The challenge for emergency physicians is to swiftly and accurately differentiate disease etiology and institute prompt treatment. Aggressive potassium repletion, required in non-HPP etiologies, may predispose HPP patients to dangerous and potentially fatal rebound hyperkalemia as the intracellular potassium shift resolves. Objectives: Describe the process by which HPP and non-HPP can be differentiated on clinical and laboratory grounds leading to appropriate resuscitation from severe and clinically relevant hypokalemia. Chronic diarrhea syndromes and possibly normal alkaline phosphatase levels alert the clinician to the potential for non-HPP. Case Report: A case of HIV/AIDS-associated isospora belli diarrheal illness with severe hypokalemia of the non-HPP type is presented. Historical, laboratory, and clinical findings, which assisted in the differentiation from HPP, are emphasized. Clinical progression and treatment strategies, as well as electrocardiogram findings with T-U-P fusion waves, are described in detail. Conclusion: The history, especially the time course of disease, is essential in differentiating HPP and non-HPP, allowing treatment to proceed without overcorrection and rebound hyperkalemia. Although other infectious diseases have been linked to non-HPP, to our knowledge this is the first report linking non-HPP to isospora belli diarrheal illness.
Comparison of the metabolic profile of mixed calcium oxalate/uric acid stone formers to that of pure calcium oxalate and pure uric acid stone formers.

Objective To compare the metabolic profile of patients who form mixed calcium oxalate (CaOx)/uric acid (UA) stones to those of pure CaOx and pure UA stone formers. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 232 patients, with both stone composition analysis and 24-hour urine collection, seen between March 2002 and April 2012. Analysis of 24-hour urine constituents across the 3 stone groups (pure UA, pure CaOx, and mixed CaOx/UA) was performed using univariate analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression models adjusting for clinical and demographic factors and 24-hour urine collection elements. Results A total of 27 patients (11.6%) had mixed CaOx/UA, 122 (52.6%) had pure CaOx, and 83 (35.8%) had pure UA calculi. Univariate analysis demonstrated significant differences between mixed CaOx/UA patients and pure CaOx patients for urine pH (mixed, 5.63 ± 0.49 vs pure, CaOx 5.93 ± 0.51; P = .009) and supersaturation (SS) UA (mixed, 1.84 ± 1.09 vs pure, CaOx 1.26 ± 0.93; P = .01), and a significant difference between mixed CaOx/UA patients and pure UA patients for SS CaOx (mixed, 7.18 ± 4.23 vs pure, UA 4.90 ± 2.96; P = .005). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that mixed CaOx/UA patients had no significant difference in SS CaOx as compared with pure CaOx patients (difference, −0.27; P = .66), whereas at the same time had no significant difference in SS UA as compared with pure UA patients (−0.07; P = .69). Conclusion The metabolic profile of patients who form mixed CaOx/UA stones demonstrates abnormalities that promote both CaOx and UA stone formation. Dietary and medical management for this group of patients should address treatment of both defects.
Treatment of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia with clarithromycin, low-dose thalidomide, and dexamethasone.

Twelve patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) underwent treatment with the nonmyelosuppressive combination regimen BLT-D: clarithomycin (Biaxin [BXN], Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) 500 mg orally twice daily, low-dose thalidomide (THAL) 50 mg orally escalated to 200 mg daily, and dexamethasone (DXM) 40 mg orally once weekly all with modification for toxicity. Omeprazole (correction of omepraxole) 20 mgm orally twice daily for 2 days with the DXM, and enteric-coated aspirin 81 mg orally daily were also administered. Twelve patients have been evaluated. All had previously received at least one purine analogue or alkylating agent. Five had a reduction in either leukocytes and/or platelets prior to treatment, of which three were disease-related. Median age was 62 years. All patients received a minimum of 6 weeks of therapy. Of the 12 patients, 10 had a significant response (83%) consisting of three near complete, three major, four partial, and two minor responses. Four of five had restoration of reduced blood counts. Two with minor responses did not receive sufficient dose escalation due to toxicity. Median time on therapy was 7 months (range, 3 to 28 months). Patients were removed from therapy primarily due to neurotoxicity. Drug resistance occurred in three patients, with one transformation to large cell lymphoma. Toxicity was as follows: gastrointestinal (primarily constipation), 42%; neurological, 100%; endocrine, 42%, and thrombotic, 8%. Most toxicities were World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1 or 2; however, neurological toxicity was more prominent and severe in WM patients than in myeloma. BLT-D is effective in WM. Because of its toxicity, predominantly neurological, BLT-D may best serve as an induction regimen or to "rescue" patients with refractory disease or disease-related low counts.
Separation and quantitation of peroxidized phospholipids using high-performance thin-layer chromatography with tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine detection.

Abstract A simple method for the selective determination of phospholipid hydroperoxide (PLOOH) families in complex lipid populations has been developed. Referred to as HPTLC-TPD, the method is based on PLOOH separation by normal-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography, followed by spray detection with N , N , N ′ , N ′ -tetramethyl- p -phenylenediamine and densitometric scanning of the purple bands. Parental phospholipids and alcohol analogues are unreactive. Calibration curves, dynamic ranges, and detection limits were established for hydroperoxide standards prepared from phospatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and cardiolipin. For all PLOOH classes, responsiveness was linear out to at least 10 nmol of sample load, the detection limit being 0.1–0.2 nmol. HPTLC-TPD data were validated by subjecting duplicate samples to more complex column chromatography with reductive-mode electrochemical detection. General applicability of the new technique was demonstrated using lipid extracts from two test systems: (i) photoperoxidized liposomal membranes and (ii) tumor cells that had been oxidatively stressed with the respiratory inhibitor antimycin A. HPTLC-TPD provides a convenient, specific, and highly sensitive means for quantifying individual PLOOH families in complex natural mixtures.
The effects of stimulus variability on response latency in a continuous recognition task

Using a test-study recognition task, stimulus variability was manipulated by pairing a given critical noun with either one or four different adjectives on successive presentations. This defined two levels of variability, low and high, respectively. Yes-No recognition latencies to the fifth presentation of critical items indicated that low variability items were responded to more rapidly than high variability items. This finding was discussed in terms of its implications for an encoding variability interpretation of context effects in recognition memory.
Life satisfaction and spinal cord injury: the patient perspective.

ABSTRACT:Spinal cord injury is a high-cost disability requiring numerous personal life-style changes. As a result of advanced medical and nursing care, life expectancy of the spinal cord-injured (SCI) individual has greatly increased. Economic impact and changes in life expectancy have led to assump
Kinematics and neutral hydrogen properties of the giant low surface brightness galaxy UGC 2936

We present high-sensitivity, high–velocity resolution VLA H I observations of the giant low surface brightness (LSB) galaxy, UGC 2936. Like the giant LSBs presented in Pickering et al., UGC 2936 is a large and massive galaxy. Its H I mass is nearly 1010 M⊙ h, it has detectable H I extending beyond 30 kpc h, and it is a fast rotator (Vmax 250 km s-1) with a slowly rising rotation curve. This galaxy also exhibits warping in the outermost isophotes of the optical images that appears to be visible in the H I distribution and kinematics as well. This galaxy's high inclination and relatively large amount of Hα emission provides a unique opportunity to compare high-quality H I and optical rotation curves in the same LSB galaxy. The optical and H I data show good agreement as long as the effects of beam smearing on the H I rotation curve are taken into account. A large part of the disk of UGC 2936 lies above the critical density for star formation as described by Kennicutt. This is consistent with the relatively large amount of star formation occurring within the disk of this galaxy and perhaps brings into question whether this galaxy should be considered a true LSB galaxy.
The IMPROVE_A Temperature Protocol for Thermal/Optical Carbon Analysis: Maintaining Consistency with a Long-Term Database

Thermally derived carbon fractions including organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) have been reported for the U.S. Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network since 1987 and have been found useful in source apportionment studies and to evaluate quartz-fiber filter adsorption of organic vapors. The IMPROVE_A temperature protocol defines temperature plateaus for thermally derived carbon fractions of 140 degrees C for OC1, 280 degrees C for OC2, 480 degrees C for OC3, and 580 degrees C for OC4 in a helium (He) carrier gas and 580 degrees C for EC1, 740 degrees C for EC2, and 840 degrees C for EC3 in a 98% He/2% oxygen (O2) carrier gas. These temperatures differ from those used previously because new hardware used for the IMPROVE thermal/optical reflectance (IMPROVE_TOR) protocol better represents the sample temperature than did the old hardware. A newly developed temperature calibration method demonstrates that these temperatures better represent sample temperatures in the older units used to quantify IMPROVE carbon fractions from 1987 through 2004. Only the thermal fractions are affected by changes in temperature. The OC and EC by TOR are insensitive to the change in temperature protocol, and therefore the long-term consistency of the IMPROVE database is conserved. A method to detect small quantities of O2 in the pure He carrier gas shows that O2 levels above 100 ppmv also affect the comparability of thermal carbon fractions but have little effect on the IMPROVE_TOR split between OC and EC.
CORRECTING FOR THE INHERENT BIAS IN THE AVERAGE BIDDER APPROACH TO COMPETITIVE BID DEVELOPMENT

A key step in contract bid development is estimating the probabilities of winning with bids of various profit potentials. One of the most common approaches to estimating these probabilities, the average bidder approach, has an inherent bias which causes it to almost always over-estimate the actual chances of winning. This note explores the nature of this error and suggests a method to compensate for it.
Quantum mechanical study of the structure and stability of molecular van der Waals' clusters I: hydrates of SO2

The structure and stability of the mixed clusters SO2(H2O)n, n ranging from 1 to 4, have been examined using semi-empirical quantum mechanical Hartree Fock methods with the improved PM3 parameter set as implemented in MOPAC [1]. Limited molecular dynamics studies together with investigation of the potential surface reveal potential barriers of 1 kcal/mol or less between many of the stable structures for a cluster of a given size. For n=1,2 the results are compared with those ofab initio calculations using a double zeta basis at the MP4 level.
Limited coital stimulation facilitates sexual responses of the female hamster

Abstract The results of two separate experiments indicate that limited sexual stimulation (six intromissions) increases both the lateral extent of the region on the perineum from which pelvic adjustment responses can be elicited by tactile stimulation and the magnitude of the responses elicited. Response magnitude was affected by the intensity and pattern of stimulation and varied significantly among individuals. Possible mechanisms for these sex responses are discussed in relation to the results of neurophysiological investigations of potentially similar processes in the rat [10].
Changing Views of Serpent Handling: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Knowledge about serpent handling sects (SHS) even among social scientists and legislators has been largely influenced by biased media reports. Our own field research suggests that factual knowledge about SHS is effective in changing stereotypes about serpent handling and in altering views as to the rights of believers to handle serpents in church. In a quasi-experimental study, participants were pretested with respect to both prejudicial and reasoned evaluative views about SHS. Participants saw either a video of contemporary SHS in which handlers demonstrated and explained their faith, or a control tape in which contemporary SHS were shown but serpent handling was neither demonstrated nor defended. As predicted, viewing the serpent handling video was effective in reducing stereotyping of SHS and in changing attitudes regarding the sincerity of the believers and the right of SHS to practice their faith without legal constraints. Appropriate controls indicated that changes were not simply a function of a pretest by treatment interaction. The relevance of these data for altering laws against the practice of serpent handling is discussed.
Role of transesophageal echocardiography in hemodynamically unstable patients

Objective To evaluate the clinical impact of transesopbageal echocardiography on subsequent management and outcome in hemodynamically unstable patients with suspected cardiovascular pathologic conditions. Design We reviewed data on patients with hemodynamic instability (hypotension, shock, or pulmonary edema) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography between December 1987 and May 1994. Material and Methods A total of 127 patients (70 male and 57 female patients with a mean age of 68 years) underwent transesophageal echocardiography at our institution as part of the diagnostic procedures used to evaluate unstable hemodynamics. Results No clinically significant complication was encountered during the procedure; transesophageal echocardiographic imaging was inadequate in three patients (2 %). Of the 124 patients with adequate images, transesopbageal echocardiography disclosed a severe cardiovascular abnormality responsible for the unstable hemodynamics in 65 patients (52 %), and 26 patients (21 %) underwent urgent pericardiocentesis or a cardiac surgical procedure, primarily based on transesophageal echocardiographic findings. Conclusion Transesophageal echocardiography can be safely performed in hemodynamically unstable patients, it produces a high diagnostic yield, and it provides important information for prompt therapeutic decision making. Therefore, we recommend transesophageal echocardiography as one of the initial diagnostic procedures in critically ill patients suspected of having an underlying cardiovascular disorder.
Amino acid fermentation by Fusobacterium nucleatum.

Abstract Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fusobacterium fusiforme) is a weakly saccharolytic gram negative anaerobic rod which is indigenous to the oral cavity of man. This organism fermented aspartate, cysteine, glutamate, glutamine, histidine, lysine, methionine, serine and threonine forming butyrate and acetate as the main acid end products. The presence of glucose in the medium did not prevent amino acid fermentation as the amino acids and glucose were catabolized concurrently. The butyrate and acetate found in spent glucose-trypticase broth were derived primarily from the broth amino acids, whereas lactate and formate arose from glucose catabolism. The absence of glucose catabolite repression could be accounted for by the slow degradation of glucose i.e. 15–25 μg glucose utilized/mg dry cell weight/hr. The fermentation of lysine did not involve significant decarboxylation but rather appeared to be by a pathway which involved cleavage into butyrate and acetate.
In situ etching of GaAs by AsCl3 for regrowth on AlGaAs in metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy

Abstract In situ etching of GaAs with AsCl 3 in metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) reactor was studied with in situ reflectometry as a function of the AsCl 3 flow rate, substrate temperature, and AsH 3 flow rate during etching. A smooth and uniform etched surface was successfully achieved at substrate temperatures above 680°C. The etch rate was found to be proportional to the flow rate of AsCl 3 , and exhibited Arrhenius temperature dependence with an activation energy of ∼1 eV. The etching was also found to be very selective towards the Al composition in AlGaAs, and stopped abruptly on AlGaAs. This process has applications for MOVPE regrowth on an AlGaAs surface after a selective in situ etch of the GaAs cap layer.
Religious Congregations as Mediating Structures for Social Justice: a Multilevel Examination

Scholars in the field of community psychology have called for a closer examination of the mediating role that religious congregations serve in society, especially in relation to the promotion of social justice. The current study provides such an examination, offering a multilevel examination of religious individuals (n = 5,123) nested within religious congregations (n = 62) with a particular focus on how individual and congregational level variables (i.e. theological orientation, frequency of religious attendance, bonding and bridging social capital) predict individual prioritization of and participation in congregational social justice activities. Findings indicated that individual level theological orientation was associated with prioritization, and demographics and social capital bonding were associated with prioritization and participation. Furthermore, congregational bridging social capital was associated with the prioritization of justice, whereas congregational theological orientation moderated the associations between frequency of religious participation for both prioritization of and participation in congregational justice activities. These findings show that specific aspects of the congregational setting (i.e., congregational theological orientation) are important to the individual prioritization of and participation in social justice activities. These findings provide support for the role of religious congregations as mediating structures for social justice. Implications for future research are also discussed.
A New Security Metric for SOA Implementations

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural style used to handle transactions involving money, identity, and other sensitive and valuable information. Web Services that implement an SOA must be secure. This paper will describe the common vulnerabilities of Web Services and SOA and the best practices that should be followed in securing the software behind them, and then a new security metric, XPath Exposure Ratio, for Web Services and SOA implementations is proposed. In addition to the discussion on how to apply the new metric, the advantages of the new security metric are also illustrated.
Neural network approach for differential diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases

A neural network approach was applied for the differential diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases. The neural network was designed for distinguishing between 9 types of interstitial lung diseases based on 20 items of clinical and radiographic information. A database for training and testing the neural network was created with 10 hypothetical cases for each of the 9 diseases. The performance of the neural network was evaluated by ROC analysis. The optimal parameters for the current neural network were determined by selecting those yielding the highest ROC curves. In this case the neural network consisted of one hidden layer including 6 units and was trained with 200 learning iterations. When the decision performances of the neural network chest radiologists and senior radiology residents were compared the neural network indicated high performance comparable to that of chest radiologists and superior to that of senior radiology residents. Our preliminary results suggested strongly that the neural network approach had potential utility in the computer-aided differential diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases. 1_© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Molecular Mechanisms of Na/K-ATPase-Mediated Signal Transduction

Our recent work shows that in addition to pumping ions, Na/K-ATPase acts as a signal transducer. Binding of ouabain to Na/K-ATPase changes the interaction of the enzyme with neighboring membrane proteins and induces the formation of multiple signaling modules, resulting in activation of Src, transactivation of the EGF receptor (EGFR), and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interaction of these signals leads to activation of several other cascades, including p42/44 and p38 MAPKs, phospholipase C, and protein kinase C isozymes, in a cell-specific manner. Ouabain also increases [Ca(2+)](i) and contractility, induces some of the early-response protooncogenes, and activates transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kappaB. Interplay among these pathways eventually results in changes in the expression of a number of growth-related genes and in cell growth. Significantly, inhibition of Src blocked many of the aforementioned ouabain-activated signaling pathways. Furthermore, Src binds to Na/K-ATPase directly and ouabain regulates the interaction between Src and the enzyme, resulting in Src activation. To address the possibility that the signaling Na/K-ATPase is concentrated in a separate pool on the plasma membrane, we have assessed interaction of the enzyme with caveolins. These studies indicated that Na/K-ATPase was concentrated in caveolae/rafts. In addition, caveolin-1 can be co-immunoprecipitated with Na/K-ATPase. Finally, we have shown that the signaling function of the enzyme is also pivotal to ouabain-induced nongenomic effects on cardiac myocytes.
Serum Erythropoietin Concentrations Measured by Radioimmunoassay in Normal, Polycythemic, and Anemic Dogs and Cats

Serum erythropoietin (Epo) concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in normal, polycythemic, and anemic dogs and cats. The serum Epo concentration in normal dogs (n = 25) ranged from 7 to 37 mU/mL (median, 20 mU/mL); and in normal cats (n = 11) ranged from 9 to 38 mU/mL (median, 18 mU/mL). Polycythemic animals (PCV > 55% in dogs, > 45% in cats) were classified as those with primary (polycythemia vera), secondary, or polycythemia of uncertain etiology. Dogs with polycythemia vera (PV, n = 8) had a median serum Epo concentration in the normal range (17 mU/mL); cats with PV (n = 7) also had a median serum Epo concentration that was within the normal range (10 mU/mL). In the category of secondary polycythemias, dogs (n = 7) (median, 30.7 mU/mL) and cats (n = 2) had normal Epo concentrations. The median serum Epo concentration was significantly decreased (P < .05) in dogs with PV compared with dogs with secondary polycythemias. The median serum Epo concentrations in dogs (n = 13) and cats (n = 5) with anemias not due to chronic renal disease were significantly increased (P < .05) compared with normal dogs and cats. In cats with anemias due to chronic renal disease (n = 5) the median serum Epo concentration was not significantly different from normal cats. The measurement of the serum EPO concentration may be useful in assessment of anemia or polycythemia but the overlap of values with the normal range in all groups evaluated limit its diagnostic use.
Derivation of an empirical sorption rate equation by analysis of experimental data

Abstract The search for empirically valid kinetic rate equations for the sorption reaction has been going on for many years. A number have been postulated, but they are not well documented in terms of experimental data. In this work five postulated sorption rate equations are tested in terms of their fits to experimental data. The data were generated by sorption uptake tests in batch reactors. The range of experimental conditions included two sorbate-sorbent combinations, four temperatures, and 30 initial concentrations of sorbate, giving a total of 240 tests. A sorption uptake curve was plotted for each experimental test; the rate coefficients for the five rate equations were determined by the differential method from the uptake curves. The fits of the different rate coefficients plotted against solution concentrations were evaluated by visual indication of scatter and by regression analysis. Through this screening process, the validity of one of the equations was ascertained. Uptake rate was found to be dependent upon degree of sorbate saturation with sorbate and liquid phase sorbate concentration. The rate equation verified above was documented over a wide range of experimental conditions. The equation is a basis for routine lab tests of sorption uptake with time. The coefficients for the particular system of interest can be obtained from these tests. Further work is needed to ascertain the validity of the equation over a broad range of hydrodynamic conditions. The larger goal is to ascertain an easy to use kinetic model which has application in reactor design.
A Composite Multivariate Polygenic and Neuroimaging Score for Prediction of Conversion to Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are characterized by widespread pathological changes in the brain. At the same time, Alzheimer's disease is heritable with complex genetic underpinnings that may influence the timing of the related pathological changes in the brain and can affect the progression from MCI to AD. In this paper, we present a multivariate imaging genetics approach for prediction of conversion to Alzheimer's disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment. We employ multivariate pattern recognition approaches to obtain neuroimaging and polygenic discriminators between the healthy individuals and AD patients. We then design, in a linear manner, a composite imaging-genetic score for prediction of conversion to Alzheimer's disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment. We apply our approach within the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and show that the integration of polygenic and neuroimaging information improves prediction of conversion to AD.
The blue toe syndrome: hemodynamics and therapeutic correlates of outcome.

Abstract We reviewed the limb and digit hemodynamics of 67 extremities of 48 patients evaluated for blue toe syndrome in our vascular laboratory during 7 years. These patients represented 1.4% of the arterial examinations during this period. Abnormal ankle/arm pressure indices (
Are we making progress in medical education

Scholarship in medical education consists of a rich compilation of studies and innovations designed to enhance our understanding of the process and content of education, contributing to and enhancing the training of physicians and their practice of high-quality patient care. Viewed through the lens of the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) Residency Reform Task Force Report,1 the 29 reports in this issue advance our understanding of the educational mission and vision for a broad range of topics.
Optical Stimulation of Zebrafish Hair Cells Expressing Channelrhodopsin-2

Vertebrate hair cells are responsible for the high fidelity encoding of mechanical stimuli into trains of action potentials (spikes) in afferent neurons. Here, we generated a transgenic zebrafish line expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) under the control of the hair-cell specific myo6b promoter, in order to examine the role of the mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channel in sensory encoding in afferent neurons. We performed in vivo recordings from afferent neurons of the zebrafish lateral line while activating hair cells with either mechanical stimuli from a waterjet or optical stimuli from flashes of ∼470-nm light. Comparison of the patterns of encoded spikes during 100-ms stimuli revealed no difference in mean first spike latency between the two modes of activation. However, there was a significant increase in the variability of first spike latency during optical stimulation as well as an increase in the mean number of spikes per stimulus. Next, we compared encoding of spikes during hair-cell stimulation at 10, 20, and 40-Hz. Consistent with the increased variability of first spike latency, we saw a significant decrease in the vector strength of phase-locked spiking during optical stimulation. These in vivo results support a physiological role for the MET channel in the high fidelity of first spike latency seen during encoding of mechanical sensory stimuli. Finally, we examined whether remote activation of hair cells via ChR2 activation was sufficient to elicit escape responses in free-swimming larvae. In transgenic larvae, 100-ms flashes of ∼470-nm light resulted in escape responses that occurred concomitantly with field recordings indicating Mauthner cell activity. Altogether, the myo6b:ChR2 transgenic line provides a platform to investigate hair-cell function and sensory encoding, hair-cell sensory input to the Mauthner cell, and the ability to remotely evoke behavior in free-swimming zebrafish.
The X-ray structure of a galaxy cluster at z = 0.54 - Implications for cluster evolution and cosmology

High-resolution X-ray observations of the rich cluster 0016+16 at a redshift of 0.541 are presented. The emitting gas in this cluster is hot and extremely luminous, and its structure resembles that seen in the brightest nearby cluster sources. In most of its properties, 0016+16 resembles a richer version of the Coma cluster, and it offers little support to the hypothesis that clusters at z greater than 0.5 differ fundamentally from nearer objects.
Long-term oral propafenone therapy for suppression of refractory symptomatic atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter

Abstract Sixty patients who had recurrent episodes of symptomatic atrial fibrillation or flutter, or both, and who had failed one to five prior drug trials were treated with open label oral propafenone hydrochloride. On a mean maximal tolerated dose of 795 ± 180 mg/day, actuarial estimates of the percent of individuals free of recurrences of symptomatic atrial fibrillation/flutter during propafenone treatment were: 1 month, 54%; 3 months, 44% and 6 months, 40%. No individual baseline characteristic achieved statistical significance as a correlate of poor response to propafenone. Drug-related adverse reactions were reported in 22% of patients but were severe enough to require termination of propafenone in only 5%. Thus, oral propafenone is a useful and well tolerated drug for long-term suppression of symptomatic recurrences of atrial fibrillation/flutter despite a history of unresponsiveness to prior antiarrhythmic drug treatment.