cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanocarbon-Immobilized Membranes for Separation of Tetrahydrofuran from Water via Membrane Distillation

We present the application of nanocarbon-immobilized membranes for the separation and recovery of tetrahydrofuran (THF) from water via membrane distillation. Several nanocarbons, namely carbon nano...
Natural History of Steroid-Treated Young Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using the NSAA, 100m, and Timed Functional Tests.

Abstract Introduction Clinical trials targeting younger cohorts of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are necessary as earlier intervention may maximize treatment effect. Boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy often have gross motor delays very early in life, and although they gain skills, they are on a lower trajectory than typical peers. Quantifying the natural rate of motor maturation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy from an early age permits identification of deviations from the expected trajectory related to treatment effects. Methods The purpose of our study was to define the natural history in boys aged from ≥3 to Results One hundred sixty-two boys with DMD aged 3.1 to 7.9 years on glucocorticoids were evaluated using one or more of the following tests as appropriate for age: NSAA (N = 158; 3.1-7.9 years), 100m (N = 131; 3.4-7.9 years), 10m (N = 162; 3.1-7.9 years), Rise (N = 160; 3.1-7.9 years), and 4SC (N = 153; 3.1-7.9 years). Longitudinal data are presented by age in a subcohort (N = 64). Conclusions Our study documents the baseline function of boys with DMD who are being treated with corticosteroids. These data will be useful to compare ongoing and future therapeutic intervention(s) for DMD.
Determination of Mindfulness, Death Anxiety, and Grief in a Patient with Metastatic Cancer

The objectives of this study were to explore the effectiveness of a modified mindfulness intervention on the following factors: death anxiety, loss and grief symptoms in a cancer patient. Specifically, while abundant literature exists as to the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions with cancer patients, few mindfulness interventions have been conducted about death and dying factors such as death anxiety, grieving and loss. This is a case report of a modified mindfulness intervention initiated as an urgent request for a hospitalized female patient with metastatic, rapidly advancing breast cancer. Scores for death anxiety, loss and grief symptoms were obtained during the seven-week intervention. Objective and subjective reports indicated improvement in death anxiety, while findings were mixed on loss and grief factors.
Impact of Traffic Incidents on Reliability of Freeway Travel Times

Travel time reliability is a key measure of a freeway system’s performance. Traffic incidents are one of the more important factors affecting travel time reliability because they reduce the capacity of a freeway segment and generate a temporary bottleneck. In this study an empirical travel time reliability analysis was conducted with the use of 4 years of travel time and incident data collected on Interstate 5 and Interstate 405 in the Seattle, Washington, metropolitan area. The incident data used for this study are notable for their highly detailed information for each incident. Three incident types (i.e., shoulder, single-lane, and multiple-lane incidents) were considered in the data analysis. Travel time reliability was analyzed through several measures, including travel time variability, buffer index, and probability of freeway segment traffic breakdown. The results show that incidents result in higher values for all these measures. To be more specific, multiple-lane incidents induce the highest buffe...
Metabolism of 7-3H-pregnenolone in normal human placenta maintained in organ culture

Abstract Normal human placental tissue was maintained in an organ culture and was incubated with 7- 3 H-pregnenolone for 6 days. Progesterone, 6β-hydroxyprogesterone, and 20α-dihydroprogesterone were isolated from the extract of the media. In a control study with no tissue present, 7- 3 H-pregnenolone was not metabolized. The radiochemical purity of the isolated metabolites was established by the isotope-dilution technique. It has been demonstrated that organ culture of normal human placenta at 9 weeks' gestation has the 3β- ol dehydrogenase enzyme system, as well as 6β-hydroxylase and 20α-dehydrogenase enzyme systems.
Communities of identity, communities of practice: Understanding Santa Fe black-on-white pottery in the Española Basin of new Mexico

The research presented here focuses on Santa Fe Black-on-white pottery produced during the Late Coalition/Early Classic Transition (AD 1250–1350) in the northern Rio Grande region, New Mexico. We combine design data with compositional analyses to gain a greater understanding of ceramic production and circulation in this region and to evaluate the communities of practice and communities of identity reflected in pottery. We combine mineralogical and INAA chemical compositional datasets to argue for at least three production provenances; we further argue that nine potential petrofacies represent different resource procurement zones within the production provenances. We argue that these data, combined, represent a minimum of three different communities of practice. Despite multiple communities of practice, similar designs were being used as decoration that reflects a single community of identity. We argue that during this transitional time period examined here, producers of Santa Fe Black-on-white were intentionally practicing a form of identity maintenance across all of the villages in which it was produced.
Review of Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 2nd ed.

Overall, this text is a comprehensive treatment of the subject of rape investigation and provides a good view of relevant research on the topic. As such, it is an excellent choice for those involved in rape investigations. The first three chapters dealing with Public Beliefs, Police Attitudes and Beliefs, and Victims' Perspectives should be particularly useful to working investigators. The authors' treatment of victimology should assist the reader to identify conlinon myths, sterotypes, and confounding attitudes. Inclusion of this critical material in this book raises it above other investigative works and offers the potential to reduce subjectivity among investigators, which can provide direct effects on the efficacy of rape investigative methods. This is particularly so for the nonseasoned investigator.
Random Variables, Densities, and Cumulative Distribution Functions

It is natural for the outcomes of many experiments in the real world to be measured in terms of real numbers. For example, measuring the height and weight of individuals, observing the market price and quantity demanded of a commodity, measuring the yield of a new variety of wheat, or measuring the miles per gallon achievable by a new hybrid automobile all result in real-valued outcomes. The sample spaces associated with these types of experiments are subsets of the real line or, if multiple values are needed to characterize the outcome of the experiment, subsets of n-dimensional real space, \( {\mathbb{R}^n} \).
From Self-Similar Groups to Self-Similar Sets and Spectra

The survey presents developments in the theory of self-similar groups leading to applications to the study of fractal sets and graphs and their associated spectra.
The Korean Distribution System

Abstract As South Korea (hereafter, Korea) emerges as one of the largest markets for U.S.- and European-made goods, a growing number of U.S. and European firms have expressed keen interest in penetrating the lucrative Korean market. Despite the enthusiasm of U.S. and European firms, they are faced with an array of invisible market barriers that makes it difficult for them to sell their products in Korea. The Korean distribution system is often symbolic of such barriers. In general, the Korean distribution system is characterized as closed and multifarious with the co-existence of manufacturer-controlled distributors and an excessively large number of small-scale “mom-and-pop” retail stores. Due to its unique structure, the Korean distribution system has been generally misunderstood by many Westerners and subsequently this misunderstanding has created an unnecessary strain on trade relations with Korea. In this paper, we provide an overview of the Korean distribution system and then formulate proactive dis...
A novel suicide vector and its use in construction of insertion mutations: osmoregulation of outer membrane proteins and virulence determinants in Vibrio cholerae requires toxR.

The toxR gene of Vibrio cholerae encodes a transmembrane, DNA-binding protein that activates transcription of the cholera toxin operon and a gene (tcpA) for the major subunit of a pilus colonization factor. We constructed site-directed insertion mutations in the toxR gene by a novel method employing the chromosomal integration of a mobilizable suicide plasmid containing a portion of the toxR coding sequence. Mutants containing these new toxR alleles had an altered outer membrane protein profile, suggesting that two major outer membrane proteins (OmpT and OmpU) might be under the control of toxR. Physiological studies indicated that varying the concentration of the amino acids asparagine, arginine, glutamate, and serine caused coordinate changes in the expression of cholera toxin, TcpA, OmpT, and OmpU. Changes in the osmolarity of a tryptone-based medium also produced coordinate changes in the expression of these proteins. Other environmental signals (temperature and pH) had a more pronounced effect on the expression of cholera toxin and TcpA than they did on the outer membrane proteins. These results suggest that certain environmental signals (i.e., osmolarity and the presence of amino acids) are tightly coupled to the expression of toxR-regulated proteins and therefore may be signals that are directly sensed by the ToxR protein.
The Formation of Galaxies

The past decade has witnessed remarkable progress in our understanding of the development of structure in the Universe. The amplitude of matter fluctuations has been measured over more than four decades of length scale, from the size of the observable Universe itself to galactic scale sizes. Although cosmologists argue over a factor of two in the relative normalization of large-scale and small-scale structure amplitudes, and whether all the data is consistent with standard Cold Dark Matter (CDM), there is little question about the basic hierarchical nature of structure formation. A few elementary considerations of such theories are summarized in this brief presentation.
Pseudotype formation of murine leukemia virus with the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus

Mixed infection of a cell by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and retroviruses results in the production of progeny virions bearing the genome of one virus encapsidated by the envelope proteins of the other. The mechanism for the phenomenon of pseudotype formation is not clear, although specific recognition of a viral envelope protein by the nucleocapsid of an unrelated virus is presumably involved. In this study, we used Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV)-based retroviral vectors encoding the gene for neomycin phosphotransferase to investigate the interaction between the VSV G protein and the retroviral nucleocapsid during the formation of MoMLV(VSV) pseudotypes. Our results show that VSV G protein can be incorporated into the virions of retrovirus in the absence of other VSV-encoded proteins or of retroviral envelope protein. Infection of hamster cells by MoMLV(VSV) pseudotypes gave rise to neomycin phosphotransferase-resistant colonies, and addition of anti-VSV serum to the virus preparations completely abolished the infectivity of MoMLV(VSV) pseudotypes. It should be possible to use existing mutants of VSV G protein in the system described here to identify the signals that are important for the formation of MoMLV(VSV) pseudotypes.
Superresolution reconstruction and its impact on sensor performance

Superresolution reconstruction algorithms are increasingly being proposed as enhancements for low resolution electro-optical and thermal sensors. These algorithms exploit either random or programmed motion of the sensor along with some form of estimation to provide a higher density sampling of the scene. In this paper, we investigate the impact of superresolution processing on observer performance. We perform a detailed analysis of the quality of reconstructed images under a variety of scene conditions and algorithm parameters with respect to human performance of a well defined task; target identification of military vehicles. Imagery having synthetic motion is used with the algorithm to produce a series of static images. These images were used in a human perception study of target identification performance. Model predictions were compared with task performance. The implication of these results on the improvement of models to predict sensor performance with superresolution is discussed.
Demonstration in Sarcoma Patients of Anti-tumour Antibodies which Fix Only Human Complement

Demonstration in Sarcoma Patients of Anti-tumour Antibodies which Fix Only Human Complement
Acute diarrhea: a practical review

This review provides a practical, simple, and logical approach to the diagnosis and management of patients with acute infectious diarrhea, one of the most common diagnoses in clinical practice. Diarrhea in the immunocompromised host, traveler's diarrhea, and diarrhea in the hospitalized patient are also discussed. Most episodes of acute diarrhea are self-limited, and investigations should be performed only if the results will influence management and outcome. After an adequate history and physical examination, the clinician should be able to classify the acute diarrheal illness, assess the severity, and determine whether investigations are needed. Most patients do not require specific therapy. Therapy should mainly be directed at preventing dehydration. Various home remedies frequently suffice in mild, self-limited diarrhea. However, in large-volume, dehydrating diarrhea, oral rehydration solutions should be used, as they are formulated to stimulate sodium and water absorption. Antidiarrheal agents can be useful in reducing the number of bowel movements and diminishing the magnitude of fluid loss. The most useful agents are opiate derivatives and bismuth subsalicylate. Antibiotic therapy is not required in most patients with acute diarrheal disorders. Guidelines for their use are presented.
A connection between empirical bond strength and the localization of the electron density at the bond critical points of the SiO bonds in silicates

The empirical bond strength of the SiO bond correlates with the value of the electron density at the bond critical point calculated for a large number of silicates and observed for the silica polymorphs stishovite and coesite. The greater the bond strength, the greater the localization of the electron density at the critical point, the shorter the bond, and the greater the covalent character of the bonded interaction. Bond strength and resonance bond number are considered to represent similar properties of the electronic structure of the bond.
High Rate of Infection After Aseptic Revision of Failed Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background Evidence suggests some metal-on-metal (MOM) THAs have higher rates of failure and subsequent revision than other bearing surfaces. However, there are few studies demonstrating how these patients fare after revision.
Experiences with a comprehensive hospital information system that incorporates image management capabilities

The Department of Veterans Affairs has undertaken a project to integrate image management functionality within its hospital information system. One of the goals of this integrated image system is to provide high-quality image data from cardiology, pulmonary and gastrointestinal endoscopy, pathology, radiology, hematology, and nuclear medicine to clinicians throughout the hospital. Images are presented to clinicians on high-resolution workstations simultaneously with associated text data. This DHCP Integrated Imaging System is currently being installed and tested at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. Initial use has revealed a number of expected as well as unanticipated benefits for patient care and medical teaching.
A Computer Program for Correlating Pairs of Variables when One is Measured on an Ordinal and the Other on a Continuous Scale of Measurement

The purpose of this article was to discuss the availability of a computer program which was designed to calculate coefficients of correlation when one of the variables in a pair is rank-ordered and the other is measured on a continuous or dimensional scale. Arguments are presented in favor of Jaspen's coefficient of multiserial correlation over other available statistical approaches.
Electronic excited states of tetracyanonickelate(II).

We revisit the assignment of the absorption spectrum of tetracyanonickelate(II) by calculating energies of excitations with time-dependent density functional theory. Our results give strong evidence that the original assignment of the spectrum is only partially correct. We thus propose an alternative assignment consistent with our theoretical calculations and all available experimental evidence. In particular, we reassign the bands at 22 400 and 32 300 cm-1 to the ^1A_(1g) → ^3A_(2g) (b_(2g) → b_(1g)) and ^1A_(1g) → ^1A_(2g) (b_(2g) → b_(1g)) excitations.
Distal, dorsal superior extremity plasty.

Multiple deep wrinkles and redundant skin over the dorsal hand, wrist, and forearm develop and become of cosmetic importance to some patients as they age. Distal, dorsal superior extremity plasty was performed in selected patients by excising redundant skin and wrinkles from the dorsal hands, wrists, and forearms. The area of skin to be excised is elliptical, with the long axis of the ellipse centered over the wrinkles on the dorsal wrist. The amount of skin to be excised (i.e., the short axis of the ellipse) is determined by grasping the dorsal wrist skin, hence advancing the dorsal forearm and hand skin, while the patient flexes the wrist. This maneuver is performed to avoid excessive excision of dorsal wrist skin, which would cause decreased wrist flexion. The surgical procedure is performed with use of magnification to avoid sensory nerve injury. A relatively large volume of lidocaine is injected subcutaneously to increase the distance between the skin and nerves and therefore decrease the risk of nerve injury. The skin edges are undermined for 1 to 1(1/2) cm, and the wound is closed in two layers. The wrist is splinted in 30 to 45 degrees of extension to decrease wound tension. The procedure produces long-lasting, good to excellent cosmetic improvement and patient satisfaction. The dorsal wrist, hand, and forearm appear smoother and more youthful, and scars are relatively inconspicuous. Potential significant complications include injury to the superficial branch of the radial nerve and dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve, wound dehiscence, and decreased range of motion of the wrist. Use of magnification, a bloodless field, injection of a relatively large volume of local anesthetic (10 to 12 cc), knowledge of regional anatomy, and careful surgical technique decrease the risk of nerve injury. Avoidance of injury to the superficial sensory branches of the radial and ulnar nerves is absolutely necessary for patient satisfaction. Avoidance of injury to the wound edges with good surgical technique, postoperative immobilization with the wrist in an extended position, and subsequent advancement of the wrist to a neutral position for several weeks decrease the risk of wound dehiscence. Avoidance of excessive skin excision and prolonged wrist immobilization lowers the risk of decreasing range of motion. There have been no complications in patients who underwent this procedure.
On the Nonnegative Rank of Euclidean Distance Matrices.

Abstract The Euclidean distance matrix for n distinct points in R r is generically of rank r + 2. It is shown in this paper via a geometric argument that its nonnegative rank for the case r = 1 is generically n.
Kinds of hormonal effects on behavior: A new view☆

Abstract Traditional views of hormone-behavior interactions have suggested that there are two general kinds of hormonal effects on behavior, organizational effects and activational effects. It is proposed here that there really are three, not two, distinct categories of hormonal effects in behavioral situations. The addition to the usual dichotomy comes from a division of activational effects. One proposed category is called behavioral effects of the baseline hormonal state: it refers to the effects of the hormonal condition before exposure to relevant exciting stimuli on the behavioral responses to those stimuli. The second proposed category includes what are called feedback effects on behavior. These are the behavioral consequences of there being hormonal responses to experience. Supporting evidence is reviewed, and the implications of the proposed distinction for the interpretation and generation of data and for clinical practice are discussed.
Chromatography of amino acids belonging to homologous series

Abstract Because of the regularities that exist in the solubilities and partition coefficients of amino acids, members of homologous series produce spots in two-dimensional chromatograms of their mixtures which fall on smooth curves. This fact can profitably be used for the analysis of chromatograms of protein hydrolysates and especially as a source of suggestions concerning the character of substances producing unusual spots. Results from analyses of hydrolysates of E. coli are cited as an example.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts: an update

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) have been used in the treatment of complications of portal hypertension. TIPS is used for the control of acute variceal bleeding and for the prevention of vericeal rebleeding when pharmacologic therapy and endoscopic therapy have failed. Patients with refractory ascites with adequate hepatic reserve and renal function who fail to respond to large volume paracentesis may be reasonable candidates for TIPS. Promising indications for TIPS are Budd-Chiari syndrome uncontrolled by medical therapy, severe portal hypertensive gastropathy, refractory hepatic hydrothorax, and hepatorenal syndrome. TIPS cannot be recommended for preoperative portal decompression solely to facilitate liver transplantation. Special care should be taken to insure proper placement of the stent to avoid increasing the technical difficulty of the transplantation procedure. The major limiting factors for TIPS success are shunt dysfunction and hepatic encephalopathy. Because shunt stenosis is the most important cause of recurrent complications of portal hypertension, a surveillance program to monitor shunt patency is mandatory. The MELD score may be useful in predicting post-TIPS survival, and also in counseling patients and their families.
Resection of sporadic spinal hemangioblastomas.

un et al. (15) provide acomprehensive reviewof the current literature regarding sporadic spinal hemangioblastomas. As S mentioned, patients with these lesions, although rare, often require surgical treatment depending on the clinical scenario, because the lesions usually manifest with clinical symptoms that can be improved and the disease canbe cured. This article adds the experience obtained by Sun et al. (15) at AcibademUniversity from 1988 to 2011 to the literature. Although their experienceduring this time period only includes 14 patients, this number is significant because when this manuscript was accepted, only 271 cases of sporadic spinal hemangioblastomas had been reported in the literature. Since then, another recently published article (3) describes 60 patients with sporadic spinal hemangioblastomas. However, the meticulous discussion of sporadic spinal hemangioblastomas by Sun et al. (15) provides insight into the demographics, radiography, classification, and outcomes of these patients.
Sound of Single Vapor Bubbles

The recent preliminary acoustic measurements of single vapor bubbles on a heated platinum wire, combined with high-speed digital photography, provided significant information for the vapor bubble dynamics such as growth, departure, collapse or coalescence with a previous bubble. Furthermore, under a given condition, the numerous consecutive single bubbles consistently showed almost identical waveforms, even at different times. This surprising result indicates that the phenomenon is not a chaotic process, but an orderly mathematical process. The deceleration of a growing bubble following the rapid initial growth was apparently detected by the acoustic emissions as a negative acoustic pressure. This is believed to be a new observation and not seen in gas bubbles. Some successive bubbles clearly underwent the spherical harmonics and compared well with a series of photographs. These results are in contrast with the previous indeterminate measurements on the sound intensity and frequency in boiling in the literature. The information for vapor bubble dynamics will be supplementary to the gas bubble dynamics such as cavitation, sonoluminescence, etc. Visual observations will be valuable for the mathematicians who study the spherical harmonics analytically. Also, the technique and information may be applicable to the fields of science and engineering associated with vapor bubbles motion including boiling.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A Note on Generating Generalized Two-Dimensional Plate and Shell Theories.

“Ordinary” two dimensional linear shell theory may be formulated by using six differential equations for stress resultants and couples and for “middle” surface force and moment load intensities, in conjunction with the principle of virtual work, for the derivation of strain displacement relations. The present paper deals with a more general formulation, involving additional two-dimensional equilibrium equations, as a consequence of three-dimensional equations for force and moment stresses, in conjunction with a stipulation of surface force and moment load intensities for two “face” surfaces in place of the one middle surface. The main intent of the analysis is an illumination of the concept of a mechanical Cosserat-surface theory, in comparison with “ordinary” two-dimensional shell theory.
Discrete Time Stochastic Petri Nets

Basic graph models of processes, such as Petri nets, have usually omitted the concept of time as a parameter. Time has been added to the Petri net model in two ways. The timed Petri net (TPN) uses a fixed number of discrete time intervals. The stochastic Petri net (SPN) uses an exponentially distributed random variable. In this paper, a discrete time stochastic Petri model is described. These discrete time SPN's fill the gap between TPN and normal SPN. However, the use of discrete time complicates the SPN model in that more than one transition may fire at a time step. Finally, an example of a live and bounded Petri net which has nonempty, disjoint, recurrent subsets of markings is given.
Simulations of Thermo-Mechanical Characteristics in Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

In the direct digital metal manufacturing, Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) has been used to fabricate sophisticated metallic parts, in a layer by layer fashion, by sintering and/or melting metal powders. In principle, EBAM utilizes a high-energy electron beam to melt and fuse metal powders to build solid parts with various materials, such as Ti-6Al-4V which is very difficult to fabricate using conventional processes. EBAM is one of a few Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies capable of making full-density metallic parts and has drastically extended AM applications.The heat transfer analysis has been conducted in a simple case of a single-scan path with the effect of powder porosity investigated. In the actual EBAM process, the scan pattern is typically alternate raster. In this study, a coupled thermo-mechanical finite element model was developed to simulate the transient heat transfer, part residual stresses of alternate raster during the EBAM process subject to a moving heat source with a Gaussian volumetric distribution. The developed model was first examined against literature data. The coupled mechanical simulation is able to capture the evolution of the part residual stresses in EBAM.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Transmission and control of rhinovirus colds

With the expanding knowledge of rhinovirus transmission and rhinovirus chemistry, the outlook for control of infections with these agents has brightened considerably. Although rhinoviruses are probably the world's leading cause of respiratory illness, they are surprisingly reluctant transmitters, infecting only about 50% of susceptibles in family-like settings. Current research suggests that rhinoviruses are spread chiefly by aerosol, rather than by fomites or personal contact. It has been possible to interrupt rhinovirus transmission completely by careful use of virucidal facial tissues, which, presumably, smothered aerosols generated by coughing, sneezing and nose blowing. Accordingly, it may be feasible to control rhinovirus (and perhaps other virus) dissemination by appropriate air handling and filtration systems in combination with careful nasal sanitation. Anti-rhinovirus drug development is also moving forward. Although there are over 100 rhinovirus serotypes, it has been found that most rhinoviruses attach to a single cell receptor by a single binding site on the virus. Also, the structure of the rhinovirus capsid is now known at the atomic level. These two pieces of knowledge about basic viral architecture appear to open new vistas for reasoned synthesis of antiviral drugs, and some promising compounds are now under investigation. Even interferon has been demonstrated useful in a family setting. On several research fronts, there are good grounds for optimism about control of rhinovirus colds.
Psychological effects of complex environments during the life span: A review and theory

Abstract This paper reviews evidence supporting a theory about the psychological effects of complex environments suggested by research on the causal relationships between occupational conditions and psychological functioning. The review indicates that environmental complexity leads to effective cognitive functioning across all stages of the life span. This effect has been found in both sexes, in several nations, and in species other than man. Although the evidence is not as extensive, environmental complexity also appears to lead to a self-directed rather than conformist orientation.
Coronary artery disease and its risk factors in patients presenting for liver transplantation

Abstract Study Objective To determine the distribution of coronary artery disease (CAD) and its risk factors across the various etiologies of end-stage liver disease, and to elucidate the relationship between severe alcohol consumption and CAD. Design Retrospective multicenter study analysis. Setting National Standard Transplant Analysis and Research file data. Measurements Data from all primary adult orthotopic liver transplant recipients during the period from 2004 through 2006 were studied. Data were divided into 5 groups according to each patient's etiology of end-stage liver disease. The prevalence of CAD and the distribution of its risk factors were compared among groups. Main results 17,482 cases were studied. The incidence of CAD was highest in nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis (7.4%) and lowest in biliary cirrhosis (1.7%). No difference in prevalence of CAD and its risk factors was noted between the viral and alcoholic etiologies (Hepatitis C 2.7%, Hepatitis B 2.3%, and alcoholic cirrhosis 2.9%). Conclusions Prevalence of CAD and the distribution of CAD risk factors in patients with severe alcohol consumption were similar to patients with viral hepatitis. CAD was most prevalent in patients with hepatic steatosis. This study argues against the notion of decreased expression and progression of CAD in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis presenting for liver transplantation.
A Problem in Single-Machine Sequencing with Nonlinear Delay Costs

We examine a class of single-machine sequencing problems which originate from scheduling considerations for a single-server queueing system with nonlinear costs of delay. Associated with each request awaiting service sequencing are a known service time, a known arrival time, and a nondecreasing cost function which is identical for each request. Two sequencing problems are considered; a request incurs cost from its arrival time to the time when it 1 commences service or 2 completes service. Our objective is a sequence which minimizes the total incurred cost. Necessary conditions for the optimal sequencing of requests are given for convex nondecreasing and quadratic cost functions. These conditions and a new lower bound function are used in a branch-and-bound algorithm to obtain computational results.
Gender differences in rat aortic smooth muscle cell matrix metalloproteinase-9

Background A predilection exists for men to develop abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), but the reasons for this gender predisposition are not known. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been implicated in both human and experimental AAAs. This investigation tested the hypothesis that male and female gender differences exist in the production of MMP-9 by rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs). Study design In the first set of experiments, cultured male and female RASMCs were stimulated with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) at 2 ng/mL. Messenger RNA was extracted from the RASMCs and gene expression of MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), an MMP-9 inhibitor, was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell culture media were collected for measurement of MMP-9 protein levels and MMP-9 activity by Western blotting and gelatin zymography, respectively. In the second set of experiments, male RASMCs were treated with 17-β-estradiol (10 −10 to 10 −6 mol/L) and MMP-9 activity was measured. In the third set of experiments, male rats were pretreated with estradiol, and MMP-9 activity was measured in the media from explanted aortas. Results MMP-9 gene expression was 10-fold higher in male versus female RASMCs (p=0.003). MMP-9 protein levels (p=0.005) and gelatinolytic activities (p=0.01) were also greater in male than female RASMCs. TIMP-1 expression was fourfold higher in male versus female RASMCs (p Conclusions MMP-9 and TIMP-1 are greater in male than in female RASMCs. These findings support the tenet that gender-related differences in MMP-9 may contribute to AAA formation.
Cadmium and glutathione: effect on human placental thromboxane and prostacyclin production.

Cadmium toxicity, noted in rodents during late gestation, has been compared with preeclampsia, a condition associated with an imbalance between thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin. This study examines the effect of cadmium on the human placental production of thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin, as reflected by their hydrolysis products (TxB2, 6-keto-PGF1α). Following two 12-h exposures, 6-keto-PGF1α production by placental expiants was 74.8 and 39.9% of unexposed tissue values at 40 and 100 μM cadmium, respectively, with no significant effect on TxB2. The effect of glutathione on placental TxB2 and 6-keto-PGF1α production was also examined. Sulfhydryl concentrations have been shown to affect thromboxane and prostacyclin production, and glutathione binds to cadmium reducing its toxicity. Although glutathione at concentrations up to 1 mM had no effect on expiant function, glutathione did prevent the effects of cadmium on 6-keto-PGF1α. This study indicates that acute exposure to cadmium at high concentrations directly affects the placental production of 6-keto-PGF1α, disturbing the thromboxane A2prostacyclin ratio.
Estimation of Pendulum Length from Information in Motion

One hundred and five college students made estimates of the lengths of freely swinging pendulums mounted in an apparatus that masked all but the top few inches of the pendulum string. The law of pendulum motion shows that visible aspects of pendulum motion uniquely specify the length of the pendulum. Thus, information is available in the display that does, if observers are able to use it, allow accurate estimation of length. In three studies estimates were found to be linear functions of actual lengths, though with wide differences in slopes among individual observers. These results, together with statements made during post-experimental interviews, are interpreted as showing that observers use a rule to the effect that length is a linear function of ‘speed’, where speed appears to be a function of both period and angular velocity.
Cataract treatment in the beginning of the 21st century

Abstract Purpose To describe the principles upon which present day cataract treatment success resides. Design Literature review and collective experience of the authors. Results Surgical removal remains the standard treatment for cataract now and in the foreseeable future. Ultrasound cataract removal with a foldable “in-the-bag” intraocular lens with a truncated edge treated for dysphotopsia best correlates with core treatment principles, as we now understand them. Improving refractive results is an important trend. The worldwide burden of this problem is immense. Conclusions While results for treatment of cataracts are excellent today, improvements in safety and refraction precision are needed. Other approaches are desperately needed to stem the worldwide tide of cataract related ocular dysfunction.
The diagnosis of type A and type B Niemann Pick disease and detection of carriers using leukocytes and a chromogenic analogue of sphingomyelin.

The chromogenic analogue of sphingomyelin 2-hexadecanoylamino-4-n&ophenylphosphocholine (HNP) has been shown to be a reliable reagent for the diagnosis of patients with Type A Niemann-Pick disease using whole tissue preparations, cultured skin fibroblasts, and cultured amniocytes [l-4]. Niemann-Pick Type C homozygotes and Niemann-Pick Type A heterozygotes were also readily identified with this substrate by assaying sphingomyelinase activity in extracts of cultured skin and amniotic fluid fibroblasts [l]. At the time the initial investigations with HNP were performed, it was presumed that leukocytes might not be a suitable source of diagnostic material because of the relatively low level of sphingomyelinase activity in these cells compared with that in cultured skin fibroblasts and amniocytes [ 11. Following the example of Besley and Bain of prolonged incubation of cells [ 5 1, we have recently reinvestigated this problem to determine whether leukocytes might be used for the diagnosis of patients with Niemann-Pick disease and detection of heterozygotes. We present here the results of our investigations which indicate that fresh leukocyte preparations may be employed with confidence for the diagnosis of patients with Type A and Type B Niemann-Pick disease and the detection of the respective heterozygotes using HNP as substrate.
The mixed model for multivariate repeated measures: validity conditions and an approximate test

Repeated measures on multivariate responses can be analyzed according to either of two models: a doubly multivariate model (DMM) or a multivariate mixed model (MMM). This paper reviews both models and gives three new results concerning the MMM. The first result is, primarily, of theoretical interest; the second and third have implications for practice. First, it is shown that, given multivariate normality, a condition called multivariate sphericity of the covariance matrix is both necessary and sufficient for the validity of the MMM analysis. To test for departure from multivariate sphericity, the likelihood ratio test can be employed. The second result is an approximation to the null distribution of the likelihood ratio test statistic, useful for moderate sample sizes. Third, for situations satisfying multivariate normality, but not multivariate sphericity, a multivariate e correction factor is derived. The e correction factor generalizes Box's e and can be used to construct an adjusted MMM test.
Professional Ethics: Complex Issues for the Social Work Profession

A code of ethics is a contract between professionals that emerges when an occupation becomes recognized in a formal manner and individuals share moral ideals regarding their contribution to the common good. Since the first code of ethics was approved by the National Association of Social Workers in 1960, ethics have provided an important framework for social work practice. This article presents a brief overview of the history of social work ethics and poses areas for future thought and consideration as the challenges and risks to practitioners continue to increase in what has become a litigious environment.
In situ nucleoprotein structure involving origin-proximal SV40 DNA control elements

Nucleoprotein structures at the SV40 GC-box and adjacent AT-rich region have been probed by nucleases in permeabilized cells at nucleotide level resolution. The patterns of nuclease protection and hypersensitivity in these permeabilized cells that allow initiation of RNA and DNA synthesis are quite different from those observed in isolated nuclei that are inactive. Whereas simple DNA protection by factors is found in nuclei, the pattern in permeabilized cells includes very strong nuclease hypersensitive sites. Their arrangement suggests that the region exists as a higher order nucleoprotein complex in vivo, which is disturbed during the preparation of nuclei. The pattern is also found to be disturbed in permeabilized cells when T-antigen is inactivated by temperature-sensitive mutation. Since T-antigen origin binding sites and the GC-box region have been shown previously to interact functionally, the existence of a higher order structure involving both components provides a likely physical basis for the functional interaction of separate control elements.
Verbal recall in schizophrenia: Differential effect of retroactive interference in nonparanoid patients

Abstract The current study examined effects of retroactive interference on verbal recall in 11 nonparanoid, 12 paranoid schizophrenic patients, 21 psychotic control patients, and 9 normal controls. We hypothesized that paranoids manifesting the “classic” schizophrenic syndrome would show substantial loss of memorized material during subsequent work on related material, and that paranoids manifesting fixed delusions, auditory hallucinations, and minimal thought disorder would show less such interference. Experiment I tended to support the hypothesis, although the manic control group also showed a modest effect of interference. In Experiment II, subjects learned a sentence to criterion, then engaged in work on an arithmetic task or learned a second sentence, and then recalled the original sentence. In agreement with the hypothesis, the nonparanoids alone showed significantly depressed recall following interference with the second sentence. Possible neural mechanisms responsible for differences between paranoids and nonparanoids are discussed.
Policy Speech in the Nineteenth Century Rhetorical Presidency: The Case of Zachary Taylor's 1849 Tour

accounts of the historical development of the American presidency. According to Tulis, the nineteenth-century presidency embodied the founders' proscriptions against the rhetorical presi dency in several ways. Chief among these were that "unofficial" speeches were generally few in number and limited to vague, innocuous utterances that avoided specific policies or partisan debates. In this article we test Tulis's portrayal of the nineteenth-century "Old Way" by focusing on the presidential tour taken by Zachary Taylor in the summer of 1849. Taylor's speeches on tour, according to Tulis, were limited to the purpose of acknowledging greetings and expressing thanks for a town's welcome. Taylor's speaking tour was thus an archetype of the "laconic" style characteristic of the nineteenth-century Old Way. Our research indicates that Tulis's charac terization of Taylor's tour is mistaken. We find that not only did Taylor discuss public policy throughout his tour but that the issue positions he staked out were harnessed to a strategic partisan agenda. These findings raise larger questions about the accuracy of Tulis's portrayal of a nineteenth-century Old Way governed by settled norms or an agreed upon rhetorical doctrine. Our research suggests instead that mid-nineteenth-century presidents were buffeted by competing expectations. On the one hand were the expectations and constraints that stemmed from the founders' plan for a president above party, and on the other hand were the expectations and demands that stemmed from the president's role as a party leader. Taylor's speeches reveal a president trying to navigate between these colliding expectations.
Change in Social Support After Retirement: Longitudinal Findings From the Normative Aging Study

Although retirement is generally thought to lead to a decline in social support due to a loss of social contacts with coworkers, the evidence for this is at best contradictory. This longitudinal study examined change in social support among 1,311 men, participants in the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study, over a 3-year period. In general, long-term retirees reported the least quantitative social support, and the continuing full-time workers the most; however, change in workforce status produced no apparent effect on quantitative support over the duration of this study. In general, qualitative support showed no retirement effects. We also examined more specific patterns of coworker friendship and again found a pattern similar to that of general quantitative support. The findings support our earlier suggestion of a distinction between retirement as a transition and retirement as a state, and also support the convoy model of social support in late life and the selectivity theory of developmental adaptation to aging.
Analysis of Crash Frequency in Work Zones with Focus on Police Enforcement

Highway work zone safety has been a concern nationwide and will likely draw ever increasing attention as more highway funds are invested in the maintenance of existing highways. To improve work zone safety, the Indiana Department of Transportation (DOT) established a special fund for work zone patrolling, and this study was commissioned to help the Indiana DOT achieve the maximum safety benefits within its budget constraint. With help from the Indiana DOT, a survey of project engineers was conducted to collect work zone information. The findings from the survey were linked with other available data. A random-effect negative binomial model was developed to identify the contributing factors and to estimate crash frequency in highway work zones. The results from the model provided insight for better understanding of crashes in work zones. Various factors, including roadway information, traffic volume, work zone-specific features, and police presence, were identified as things that affect crash frequency in w...
The parietal cell as a therapeutic target.

Inhibition of acid secretion or an improvement in mucosal resistance is central to treatment of upper gastrointestinal tract ulcers. Initiation of secretion is largely brought about by activation of the H2-histamine receptor, though other receptors are also involved to a lesser extent. Activation of the parietal cell by histamine is dependent on adenylate cyclase, and is a result of direct stimulation of the enzyme by histamine. Cyclic AMP can mimic the effect of H2-receptor activation. Mechanisms of cholinergic and gastrinergic stimulation involve different receptors and second messengers. These three systems can be used to construct a model of the parietal cell and its activation. On activation, changes in metabolism, structure and H' pump function occur in the parietal cell, and these suggest the possibility of several sites of action for the phosphokinases activated by the second messengers cyclic AMP and Ca2+. Detailed studies have been carried out on the H+K+ATPase of hog gastric mucosa and a reacti...