cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin-like growth factors stimulate chemotaxis in human melanoma cells.

Summary Insulin and insulin-like growth factors stimulate motility in the highly metastatic human melanoma cell line, A2058. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is the most potent with a maximal response at a concentration of 10 nM compared to the activities of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) which peak at 300–400 nM. Using checkerboard analysis, the responses to IGF-I and insulin are predominantly chemotactic, although insulin had a significant chemokinetic component. Pertussis toxin does not inhibit the response to any of these polypeptides. However, in previous studies, it was shown that the motile response to autocrine motility factor from these same A2058 cells was markedly inhibited by pertussis toxin. 125 I-labelled IGF-I binds saturably and specifically to the A2058 cells. Scatchard analysis indicates a high binding affinity (Kd ∼ 3 × 10 −10 M) and an estimated 5000 receptors/cell. These studies indicate that in addition to their mitogenic properties, certain growth factors may profoundly enhance metastasis of tumor cells by their ability to induce motility.
Optimal number of gateways for mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) with two subnets

Early designs of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) assumed they could be scaled to very large topologically flat networks where every node in the network has equal capability and access to the wireless channel. This assumption was called into question in 2000 by Gupta and Kumar [1] who established an asymptotic theoretical limit for node capacity as the number of nodes in a single channel MANET becomes large. Recent field experiments have confirmed that this theoretical limit may be difficult to overcome. To address MANET scalability alternative MANET designs have been developed in which a wireless channel are shared by only a subset of the entire collection of network nodes. Subnets are then linked by gateway nodes that operate on two or more channels and provide connectivity across the entire network. In these MANET designs gateway nodes transmit and receive on multiple subnets and can become bottlenecks in the network if there are too few gateways. On the other hand, if the network contains many gateways, then too much subnet bandwidth may be allocated to gateways and insufficient bandwidth allocated to single channel nodes. This paper examines the design of MANETs based on two subnets and determines the optimal number of gateway nodes which maximizes overall network performance for a uniform message traffic loading.
Use Of Telemedicine Can Reduce Hospitalizations Of Nursing Home Residents And Generate Savings For Medicare

Hospitalizations of nursing home residents are frequent and result in complications, morbidity, and Medicare expenditures of more than a billion dollars annually. The lack of a physician presence at many nursing homes during off hours might contribute to inappropriate hospitalizations. Findings from our controlled study of eleven nursing homes provide the first indications that switching from on-call to telemedicine physician coverage during off hours could reduce hospitalizations and therefore generate cost savings to Medicare in excess of the facility’s investment in the service. But those savings were evident only at the study nursing homes that used the telemedicine service to a greater extent, compared to the other study facilities. Telemedicine service providers and nursing home leaders might need to take additional steps to encourage buy-in to the use of telemedicine at facilities with such services. At the same time, closer alignment of the stakeholders that bear the costs of telemedicine and thos...
HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B (HIb) DISEASE IN A DAY CARE CENTER

During a 14 month period, 7 of 48 children attending a day care center developed HIb disease. Five infants developed meningitis, 1 septic arthritis and the 7th infant had pneumonia and septicemia. Surveillance studies showed that at least 58% of infants carried HIb in their nasopharynx on 1 occasion. Specific measures were instituted to control the outbreak; these included antimicrobial prophylaxis and immunization with HIb polysaccharide vaccine. Ampicillin (100 mg/kg/d) was administered to 6 asymptomatic carriers of ampicillin-susceptible HIb. At 1 and 7 days after therapy, HIb was isolated from 3 infants and at 14 days, 4 of 5 infants had positive cultures. HIb vaccine was administered subcutaneously to 34 children. Sera obtained prior to immunization showed detectable antibody in all infants. Only 9 (26%) infants had two-fold or greater rises in serum HIb antibody titers after vaccination. Antibody response was independent of age, pre-immunization antibody concentration and HIb carrier status. Vaccine was not only ineffective in reducing the carrier rate, it failed to prevent acquisition of the organism by non-carriers. An 18 month old infant previously identified as a carrier, developed meningitis 4 months after receiving and responding to the vaccine. HIb is a highly contageous agent capable of causing disease in closed populations of susceptible infants.
A gas-liquid chromatographic method of assay for mevalonic acid☆

Abstract A new method has been developed for the purification and estimation of mevalonic acid through gas-liquid chromatography of its lactone. This method results in higher purification and the detection of lower levels of compound, and can be performed more rapidly than other existing methods.
Recovery of α2-adrenoceptor binding and function after irreversible inactivation by N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ)

Abstract Treatment of rats with N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) resulted in a pronounced loss of α 2 -adrenoceptor binding ([ 3 H]RX-781094) and a marked reduction in the ability of the α 2 -agonist UK-14,304 to inhibit K + -stimulated release of both [ 3 H]NA and [ 3 H]5-HT in cerebral cortex. Repopulation of α 2 -anderoceptors was monoexponential with a t 1 2 of 4.1 days; functional recovery was also monoexponential, with t 1 2 values of 2.4 and 4.6 days for restoration of α 2 -mediated inhibition of [ 3 H]NA and [ 3 H]5-HT release, respectively. Other studies suggest the difference in functional recovery rate may reflect the presence of a large receptor reserve for autoreceptors relative to heteroreceptors.
Experimental inoculation of dogs with Borrelia burgdorferi

Summary To determine if dogs could serve as a reservoir for Borrelia burgdorferi, three beagles were inoculated subcutaneously (SQ) with 200 laboratory cultured spirochetes which were originally isolated from blood of a Peromyscus leucopus from Ft. McCoy, Wisc. One four month old beagle was inoculated SQ with 5 ground Ixodes dammini from Shelter Island, N. Y. which came from an area with a 50% B. burgdorferi tick infection rate; and another uninfected four month old beagle was housed loose on the floor with the tick inoculated dog. All three spirochete inoculated beagles developed IFA antibody titers to B. burgdorferi of (7 log2) to (8 log2) by day 28 post inoculation. All were apparently healthy and no spirochetes were cultured from the blood. In an attempt to exacerbate the disease two of the dogs were given 3 mg of dexamethasone on day 68 post inoculation. B. burgdorferi was isolated from blood of all these dogs on days 4 and 97 days post inoculation. The tick inoculated dog developed a B. burgdorferi IFA antibody titer of (10 log2) by day 14 post inoculation. The contact exposed dog also developed a B. burgdorferi IFA antibody titer of (7 log2) on post contact day 21 indicating contact infection. B. burgdorferi was not isolated from either of these dogs. These results indicate that, 1) contact transmission of B. burgdorferi may occur between dogs, 2) dogs can be subclinically infected with B. burgdorferi and have persistent infections.
Slopes of small-scale wind waves and their relation to mass transfer rates

A technique is described which measures the time-varying slope of a wavy air-water interface. New results are presented for statistical and spectral properties of slopes of wind generated waves in a rectangular flow channel. Previous measurements of oxygen absorption in the same facility are reviewed in light of these results in order to relate surface structure to mass transfer rates. Measurements of mass transfer rates and RMS wave slopes are found to agree for facilities with a large range of sizes when comparisons are made at the same friction velocities.
The epitheliomuscular cell of hydra: Its fine structure, three-dimensional architecture and relation to morphogenesis

Ectodermal epitheliomuscular cells of Hydra attenuata were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and a three-dimensional model was constructed. These cells are cuboidal to columnar, and each cell has one muscle process arising from the basal portion of the oral-facing surface and one from the aboralsurface. Adjacent epitheliomuscular cells are joined apicolaterally by septate junctions. Numerous gap junctions occur between adjacent epitheliomuscular cells and are irregularly distributed along the lateral and basal aspects. Finger-like interdigitations and specialized folds (couplers) also occur along the basal and lateral aspects and interlock adjacent epitheliomuscular cells. In the basal portion of these cells, myofilaments are aggregated into myonemes which are oriented in the oral-aboral axis of the polyp. Myonemes dominate the cytoplasm of muscle processes. Myofilaments are also aggregated in the basal cytoplasm of the cell body when the cell body is in contact with the mesoglea but are sparse or absent when the cell body rests upon other muscle processes. Epitheliomuscular cells and associated muscle processes rest upon other processes and the mesoglea and show variations in these relations. A muscle process and associated cell may rest upon another process; the process may then extend under the preceding process and cell body. This configuration, and variations, present a woven or braided network of muscle processes which collectively form a sheet of muscle on the mesoglea. The interdigitations, couplers and gap junctions between epitheliomuscular cells and the woven network of muscle processes present a cytological basis for the observations that the ectoderm in hydra behaves as a coherent sheet along the body column.
ABA-ZAK: A world view exercise☆

Abstract People often take their own language for granted, unaware that their native tongue is not merely a “neutral” communication system, but a pervasive medium that directly influences every aspect of their lives. This is probably because we develop our language ability so very early in life that we seldom reflect on it. For this reason, contact with diversity — and especially linguistic diversity — can be a richly provocative experience. Grappling with communication through a foreign language provides an opportunity to learn about another way of life; even more important, it raises questions about one's own language, culture, and world view. Although individuals from minority languages and cultures are commonly challenged to do just this, other individuals, by virtue of belonging to the mainstream of society, may not also have had the benefit of such an experience, which can lead to cross-cultural awareness and an expanded world view. This exercise helps to create such an opportunity.
The Use of Metacommunication in Compliance: Door-in-the-Face and Single-Request Strategies

Abstract Investigation of compliance techniques has generally overlooked a dynamic involving a target's dilemma over directly commenting about the imposition of the requester's behavior. Such behavior is generally classified as being metacommunicative in nature. In two studies, the authors tested the hypothesis that compliance can be enhanced when the target is asked to metacommunicate about the appropriateness of an imposition in order to refuse it. American participants were exposed to door-in-the-face (DITF) and single-request strategies that used either metacommunicative or standard language. Although metacommunicative DITF strategies yielded significant compliance effects, the obtained levels were not significantly greater than those of standard DITF strategies. However, when communication style (metacommunicative language) was considered independent of strategy, significant overall effects were found. Therefore, the use of metacommunicative binds in the language of single requests may facilitate com...
Do Chameleons Get Ahead? The Effects of Self-Monitoring on Managerial Careers

This study tracked 139 graduates of the same master's of business administration program for five years and demonstrated significant main effects of the personality variable self-monitoring on care...
Special Interest Politics and the Crisis of Financial Institutions in the USA

The savings and loan bailout bill, the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), marks the beginning of the post-Reagan era of reregulation. The traditional lobbying coalition of the housing and home-finance industries was too divided and defensive to shape the FIRREA legislation effectively. Congress and the Bush Administration were preoccupied with the financial and political crises raised by the collapse of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Company, and were unsympathetic to the lobbying efforts of industry. In this anti-special-interest atmosphere, consumer and affordable-housing advocates enjoyed surprising success. But the FIRREA legislation is being modified as it is implemented, and the durability of both populist and regulatory gains must be questioned.
Electrochromic and electrochemichromic displays

Abstract The electrochromic or electrochemichromic display technology is reviewed. Characteristics of such devices are described and several important electrochromic display devices are discussed and their status assessed.
An Alternative Formulation for Spatial-Interaction Modeling

Elementary geometric assumptions are used to derive a spatial-interaction model in which places are related to each other through a set of simultaneous linear equations. The system has simple properties with respect to aggregation and turnover, yet incorporates spatial competition, adjacency, and effects of geographic shadowing. The objective function satisfied by the model reduces congestion and minimizes the per capita work; solves a quadratic transportation-problem and fulfils in-sum and out-sum constraints. The associated Lagrangians can be interpreted as pushes and pulls, or as shadow prices. A spatially continuous version of the model consists of coupled elliptical partial differential equations with Neumann boundary conditions, solvable by numerical methods. With migration data from the United States of America the model yields an amazingly good fit, better than existing models and with fewer free parameters. Inversion of the model yields an estimate of distances between regions. In-movement rates ...
Stress and volcanism in the northern Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, New Mexico: Effects of the post-Laramide tectonic transition

The tectonic transition between Laramide crustal shortening and mid-Tertiary extension occurred during Datil Group (upper Eocene-lower Oligocene) volcanism in the northern Mogollon-Datil field, New Mexico. Radiometrically constrained stratigraphic evidence for (1) displacement reversal across intrabasin fault zones and (2) initial foundering and burial of Laramide uplifts that would later form basins of the Rio Grande rift indicates that the tectonic transition occurred about 36 Ma. The change from Laramide shortening to mid-Tertiary extension coincides temporally and spatially with the end of early intermediate- composition volcanism (lower Datil Group) and the beginning of bimodal volcanism (upper Datil Group and younger rocks) in the northern Mogollon-Datil field. Lithospheric stress regimes provided a common link between tectonism and volcanism during Datil time. Tectonic compression during Laramide crustal shortening prevented dike propagation on a regional scale. Diapirism was the only major mechanism available for ascent of early Datil magmas. Because diapirs derive buoyancy from density contrast over a short depth interval, basaltic melts must evolve to at least andesitic composition to penetrate low-density continental crust. Tectonic tension began about 36 Ma in west-central New Mexico, allowing widespread dike propagation. Upper Datil basaltic andesite melts, which were more dense than parts of the continental crust, were able to ascend via dike propagation because dikes have sufficient vertical extent to derive buoyancy from "roots" in the dense upper mantle or lower crust. Crustal melting caused by widespread intrusion of mafic dikes may have produced the silicic mode of late Datil volcanism.
HD 207651: A Triple System with δ Scuti and Ellipsoidal Variations But No γ Doradus Pulsations

We examine HD 207651 as a possible example of a star exhibiting both γ Doradus and δ Scuti type pulsations. We find photometric periods of 0.06479 and 0.06337 days with peak-to-peak amplitudes in Johnson B of 21 and 13 mmag, respectively, clearly indicating δ Scuti pulsations. Additional light variation with a period of 0.73540 days and an even larger amplitude of 31 mmag is within the range of γ Doradus pulsation periods but results instead from the ellipticity effect. HD 207651 has a composite spectrum with a weak, narrow absorption line superposed near the center of each broad metal line. The broad-lined component is the primary of a short-period, single-lined binary, which has a period of 1.4708 days, twice the period of the ellipsoidal variations seen in the photometry. We determine the primary to be an A8 giant and estimate the unseen secondary of the short-period binary to be a mid-M dwarf. The narrow-lined star, an F7: dwarf, shows velocity variability with a period of months or perhaps years. It is thus a more distant companion to the binary, making HD 207651 a triple system. All light variations come from the A8 giant primary star. Since the 0.73540 day variation results from the ellipticity effect, HD 207651 is not an example of a star that exhibits both δ Scuti and γ Doradus pulsations. The growing number of confirmed γ Doradus stars that also occur within the δ Scuti instability strip but fail to show additional δ Scuti variability makes it increasingly unlikely that the two types of pulsation can coexist in the same star.
Glomerulonephritis: Pathogenesis and Classification

Glomerulonephritis is defined as a clinicopathological condition which characteristically involves both kidneys or only one kidney when the other kidney is congenitally absent or has been removed due to trauma, tumor, or abscess. It is characterized by the deposition of immunoglobulins (or antibody) in the glomeruli, sometimes in the tubules, and, rarely, in the interstitium and arterioles. These immunoglobulins are observed as deposits by electron and immunofluorescence microscopy. Frequently, neutrophilic leukocytes and complement components are also identified in the lesions. Other forms of glomerulonephritis, in which immunoglobulin and complement deposition are absent, also occur.
Single-feed highly-directive Fabry-Perot Cavity antenna for 60 GHz wireless systems: Design and fabrication

In this paper, a prototype Fabry-Perot Cavity (FPC) antenna is designed and fabricated at millimeter-wave frequencies, aiming at designing directive antennas for 60 GHz wireless systems. A prototype FPC antenna is designed to have 17 dB gain at 42.8 GHz with 600–700 MHz 3dB-pattern-bandwidth and it is designed in order to be mounted on a wafer (chip). Measurement tools at millimeter frequencies and also antenna integration possibilities lead us to design an efficient feeding network for this kind of antenna. The antenna is fabricated on a quartz wafer (very low loss dielectric especially at millimeter-wave frequencies) which is coated by a thin layer of gold on each side. All the simulations on the reflection coefficient, gain and the radiation pattern of the antenna are done and compared using two most powerful EM simulators, Ansoft HFSS and Zeland IE3D and they are also compared with some measurement results for the prototype antenna.
Inhibition of sexual maturation by a urinary pheromone in male prairie deer mice

Abstract Male prairie deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) were treated from weaning until 8 weeks of age with chemical stimuli from conspecifics or with control substances. Growth of the testes and seminal vesicles was retarded in males that were reared in contact with soiled bedding material transferred from cages of adult males. No additional inhibition resulted from the physical presence of an adult male either continuously or for 1 hr per day. Application of urine collected from adult males to the noses of young males retarded seminal vesicle growth. Removal of the olfactory bulbs of males at 3 weeks of age blocked the inhibitory influence of urine on sexual maturation. Exposure to urine from adult females did not alter the growth of the reproductive organs in young males. The ability of a male deer mouse to retard the sexual maturation of young male conspecifics (Bediz, G. M., and Whitsett, J. M., 1979, J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 93, 493–500) appears to be a consequence of chemical stimuli excreted in its urine.
Dynamic nonpoint-source pollution control policy: Ambient transfers and uncertainty

When a regulator cannot observe or infer individual emissions, corrective policy must rely on ambient pollution data. Assuming this kind of environment, we study a class of dierential games of pollution control with prot functions that are polynomial in the global pollution stock. Given an open-loop emissions strategy satisfying mild regularity conditions, an ambient transfer scheme is exhibited that induces it in Markov-perfect equilibrium (MPE). Proposed transfers are a polynomial function of the dierence between actual and desired pollution levels; moreover, they are designed so that in MPE no tax or subsidy is ever levied. Their applicability under stochastic pollution dynamics is studied for a symmetric game of polluting oligopolists with linear demand. We discuss a quadratic scheme that induces agents to adopt Markovian emissions strategies that are stationary and linearly decreasing in total pollution. Total expected ambient transfers are non-positive and their magnitude is linearly increasing in physical volatility, the size of the economy, and the absolute value of the slope of the inverse demand function. However, if the regulator is interested in inducing a constant emissions strategy then, in expectation, transfers vanish. The total expected ambient transfer is compared to its point-source equivalent.
Cognitive Science Research Can Improve Undergraduate STEM Instruction What Are the Barriers

This article explores the directions needed to facilitate widespread adoption of the findings of cognitive science (CS) into undergraduate instruction in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The emerging research tradition of STEM discipline-based education research (DBER) is introduced briefly, with a focus on physics education research (PER). Examples of cognitive science research that are beginning to affect classroom practice are introduced, as well as examples that have direct implications for improving STEM instructional practices, yet remain largely unknown in the STEM community. Two barriers slow the implementation of CS findings in undergraduate STEM instruction. The first is lack of communication between cognitive science and STEM DBER researchers. The second is that, even when strong curricula and instructional practices are developed, there are many structural obstacles that make it difficult for STEM instructors to implement new instructional strategies...
Foreign groups in Rome during the first centuries of the empire

Among the many religions of oriental origin Christianity was the only one which really became a Roman religion, and any attempt to explain the complex history of the institutional development of the Church of Rome during the early centuries of the empire must start from the analysis of this distinguishing fact, the ‘romanization’ of the Christian Church. A survey of the Roman environment in which Christianity made its first conquests and secured its success is the indispensable preliminary to the study of the process that gradually transformed Christianity in Rome from a religion of foreign groups into the legally established religion of the Roman Empire.
Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in alveolar epithelial cells increases with cyclic stretch.

Na+-K+-ATPase pumps (Na+ pumps) in the alveolar epithelium create a transepithelial Na+ gradient crucial to keeping fluid from the pulmonary air space. We hypothesized that alveolar epithelial stre...
Demographic responses of Pinguicula ionantha to prescribed fire: a regression-design LTRE approach

This study describes the use of periodic matrix analysis and regression-design life table response experiments (LTRE) to investigate the effects of prescribed fire on demographic responses of Pinguicula ionantha, a federally listed plant endemic to the herb bog/savanna community in north Florida. Multi-state mark–recapture models with dead recoveries were used to estimate survival and transition probabilities for over 2,300 individuals in 12 populations of P. ionantha. These estimates were applied to parameterize matrix models used in further analyses. P. ionantha demographics were found to be strongly dependent on prescribed fire events. Periodic matrix models were used to evaluate season of burn (either growing or dormant season) for fire return intervals ranging from 1 to 20 years. Annual growing and biannual dormant season fires maximized population growth rates for this species. A regression design LTRE was used to evaluate the effect of number of days since last fire on population growth. Maximum population growth rates calculated using standard asymptotic analysis were realized shortly following a burn event (<2 years), and a regression design LTRE showed that short-term fire-mediated changes in vital rates translated into observed increases in population growth. The LTRE identified fecundity and individual growth as contributing most to increases in post-fire population growth. Our analyses found that the current four-year prescribed fire return intervals used at the study sites can be significantly shortened to increase the population growth rates of this rare species. Understanding the role of fire frequency and season in creating and maintaining appropriate habitat for this species may aid in the conservation of this and other rare herb bog/savanna inhabitants.
Bayesian indirect and mixed treatment comparisons across longitudinal time points

Meta-analysis has become an acceptable and powerful tool for pooling quantitative results from multiple studies addressing the same question. It estimates the effect difference between two treatments when they have been compared head-to-head. However, limitations occur when there are more than two treatments of interest, and some of them have not been compared in the same study. Indirect and mixed treatment modeling extends meta-analysis methods to enable data from different treatments and trials to be synthesized, without requiring head-to-head comparisons among all treatments; thus, allowing different treatments to be compared. Traditional indirect and mixed treatment comparison methods consider a single endpoint for each trial. We extend the current methods and propose a Bayesian indirect and mixed treatment comparison longitudinal model that incorporates multiple time points and allows indirect comparisons of treatment effects across different longitudinal studies. The proposed model only uses summary level longitudinal data. This model is particularly useful when a meta-analysis is performed on studies with different durations. It enables the borrowing of information from shorter studies even in the situation where the primary interest is in a time point beyond the duration of some of these shorter studies. We performed simulation studies, which demonstrate that the proposed method performs well and yields better estimations compared with other single time point meta-analysis methods. We apply our method to a set of studies from patients with type 2 diabetes.
Concomitant Therapy With Labetalol and Hydrochlorothiazide in Moderate to Moderately Severe Essential Hypertension

Labetalol is a competitive, nonselective antagonist of both beta1 and beta2 adrenoceptors. It has been suggested that labetalol reduces blood pressure (BP) predominately by decreasing peripheral vascular resistance while maintaining cardiac output. We conducted a double-blind, randomized study to assess the antihypertensive effect of labetalol in patients with a standing diastolic blood pressure (SDBP) between 105 and 119 mm Hg. The study consisted of three separate phases in succession. Phase I was a single-blind, placebo washout phase, two to four weeks in length. Those patients with a SDBP 105 mm Hg at the end of phase I entered phase II, in which they were administered labetalol in a forced titration of 100 mg bid to 400 mg bid. Those with a SDBP 90 mm Hg on the 400 mg bid regimen for two weeks were maintained on labetalol alone (N = 8). Those patients whose BP was not controlled (SDBP 90 mm Hg, N = 15) were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive either hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) or placebo in addition to labetalol for the next five weeks. Eight of the 15 patients received HCTZ and seven received placebo. The BPs at baseline and at the end of phase II were similar in the two groups. With the addition of HCTZ, the standing BP decreased (P < .01) from 146/102 ± (7/4) mm Hg to 125/89 ± (3/3) mm Hg and supine BP decreased (P < .01) from 151/101 ± (5/5) mm Hg to 136/90 ± (3/3) mm Hg (X ± SEM). Placebo had no significant effect on BP. The SDBP was normalized (< 90 mm Hg) in four of the eight patients who received HCTZ as compared with one of seven who received placebo. Heart rate decreased significantly (P < .05) with labetalol and the addition of HCTZ had no effect on heart rate. We conclude that labetalol alone can normalize BP in approximately one third of hypertensive patients and that the addition of a diuretic can normalize it in another one third without significant side effects.
Systematic Review of Nimodipine

To the Editor: I noted with interest the systematic review of nimodipine from Dr. Horn et al ( Stroke . 2001;32;2433–2438). The authors are to be complimented for a thorough review of difficult literature; their summary brings clarity to a previously confusing issue. I concur with their conclusions that preclinical data suggested nimodipine NOT be pursued in clinical trials. The authors emphasized stroke infarct volume as an outcome measure. They meta-analyzed the effect of nimodipine on infarct size (their Figure 1), in which an overall favorable effect is shown for nimodipine. The “methodological score” they used to rate the quality of the reviewed articles gave a point if the article included both behavioral and morphometric outcomes. It seems to me that this review could be taken as further indictment of morphometry as a valuable outcome measurement: infarct volume in the rodent brain seems not to predict effects either on functional outcome or in human clinical trials. This controversy has been bubbling for a while now, and this article serves to crystallize it. The only remaining arguments in favor of morphometry as an end point are (1) it is simple and (2) the data are parametric so standard statistical analysis can be used. Arguments against morphometry include (1) the variance is so huge (if it is reported honestly) that sample sizes must be increased beyond what is typically reported and (2) it has limited relevance to functional outcome. Horn et al have buttressed this latter point, perhaps unintentionally. As we struggle to resolve the paradox of positive animal/negative human trials, we would be well served to keep this review in mind. Unless a putative neuroprotectant shows effects other than reducing rodent infarct volume, it is very unlikely to prove useful in human stroke victims. I would go further and suggest that rodent …
NUMERICAL METHODOLOGY IN FATIGUE ANALYSIS: APPLICATIONS

Fatigue behaviors of several different materials are studied by means of a numerical methodology presented in the basic formulation part of the paper. Fatigue crack growth rate and S-N curve are established; fatigue lives are evaluated; crack length variations and relative modulus changes with the number of load cycles is examined, respectively, for three kinds of materials. The influence of material properties as well as temperature on fatigue behavior is studied. These numerical results show a good agreement with available experimental results.
Synthetic process engineered polyaniline nanostructures with tunable morphology and physical properties

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers (NFs) obtained by the interfacial polymerization method are studied and compared with PANI nanostructures prepared by the ultrasonication method and the polymer acid doping method. In the case of PANI NFs, the effects of the reaction time, the size of the interfacial area, scale ratio, and concentration of reactant on the crystalline structure, thermal stability, morphology, electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity are systematically studied. Meanwhile, huge difference in morphology is observed and related to the nanofiber growth condition. Unusual morphology and peaks on X-ray diffraction curve of PANI doped with polymer acid (poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid)) (PAMPSA) are observed and associated with high molecular weight of the doped polymer acid. The change of the conductivity is attributed to a combination of crystallinity and crystal size. Temperature dependent conductivity reveals a 3-d variable range hopping (VRH) electron transport mechanism. The electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity are investigated and mainly depend on the morphology and crystalline structure. The resistivity of the PANI NFs is observed to be the lowest one compared with the other two at room temperature. Both PANI nanostructures (NFs and NPs) exhibit negative real permittivity in the whole frequency range. Meanwhile, positive magnetoresistance (MR) is observed in all the three kinds of PANI nanostructures and is analyzed theoretically from the currently available wave-function shrinkage model.
Signature matching: a tool for using software libraries

Signature matching is a method for organizing, navigating through, and retrieving from software libraries. We consider two kinds of software library components—functions and modules—and hence two kinds of matching—function matching and module matching. The signature of a function is simply its type; the signature of a module is a multiset of user-defined types and a multiset of function signatures. For both functions and modules, we consider not just exact match but also various flavors of relaxed match. We describe various applications of signature matching as a tool for using software libraries, inspired by the use of our implementation of a function signature matcher written in Standard ML.
A dialogue between virtue ethics and care ethics

A dialogue between virtue and care ethics is formed as a step towards meeting Pellegrino's challenge to create a more comprehensive moral philosophy. It is also a dialogue between nursing and medicine since each practice draws on the Greek Virtue Tradition and the Judeo-Christian Tradition of care differently. In the Greek Virtue Tradition, the point of scrutiny lies in the inner character of the actor, whereas in the Judeo-Christian Tradition the focus is relational, i.e. how virtues are lived out in specific relationships, particularly unequal relationships where vulnerability of one of the members is an issue. In a care ethic relational qualities such as attunement rather than inner qualities are the point of scrutiny. A dialogue between these two traditions makes it possible to consider the relational virtues and skills of openness and responsiveness that are required for a respectful meeting of the other.
Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Emerging Health Issue for Social Work

Cigarette smoking remains a leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States, and the impairment of smokers and those in their social environments is a concern for social workers. Despite primary prevention and cessation-based policies and interventions, quit rates are low and nicotine replacement therapies are underused and of limited efficacy. Tobacco harm reduction has garnered attention due to tobacco policy shifts and the increasing use and marketing of such products as electronic cigarettes. Social work has been criticized as ignoring this topic, and existing literature is limited. This article considers questions and concerns surrounding tobacco harm reduction, and offers guidance in formulating a social work position regarding this important issue.
Relationship between verbal command volume and magnitude of muscle contraction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesized correlation between volume of a verbal command and magnitude of a resulting voluntary isometric muscular contraction, using a withdrawal-reinstatement (ABAB) research design. Nineteen volunteer male subjects between the ages of 18 and 30 years performed isometric contractions of the triceps brachii muscles in response to prerecorded verbal commands. With a volume increase of 22 decibels A scale, subjects averaged an 8 percent increase in muscle contraction strength, a difference that was significant at the .05 level. Through an awareness and use of the effects of voice volume on muscular contraction, the therapist may be able to improve the accuracy and consistency of examination methods, and increase the efficacy and efficiency of therapeutic procedures.
Arthroscopic Capsular Repair for Symptomatic Hip Instability After Previous Hip Arthroscopic Surgery.

Background:Management of the hip capsule has been a topic of recent debate in hip arthroscopic surgery. Postoperative instability after hip arthroscopic surgery has been reported and can lead to poor outcomes.Purpose:To determine the outcome of patients diagnosed with symptomatic instability after hip arthroscopic surgery at a minimum of 12 months and 24 months after revision surgery for capsular repair.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:In a cohort of approximately 1100 patients who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery, 33 patients (33 hips) developed symptomatic instability requiring a revision surgery. Two patients suffered anterior dislocations following their initial surgery. Radiographs were reviewed to evaluate for acetabular dysplasia. Three patients were lost to follow-up and 10 patients were excluded as they were <1 year out from the revision surgery. A total of 20 patients (18 female, 2 male) completed a preoperative and postoperative modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and Hip O...
"A small leak will sink a great ship": hypoxia-inducible factor and group III pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension complicating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, also known as secondary pulmonary hypertension, represents a major source of morbidity and mortality in affected patients. While the study of primary pulmonary arterial hypertension has yielded several therapies, the same is not true for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension secondary to pulmonary fibrosis. Recent studies have indicated an important role of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) – a regulatory protein that is vital in adaptation to hypoxic conditions – in the development of secondary pulmonary hypertension. HIF influences development of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension through alteration in voltage-gated potassium channels and homeostatic calcium regulation, resulting in disruption of endothelial cell-cell communication, and eventual vascular remodeling. This article summarizes salient literature related to HIF and secondary pulmonary hypertension, in addition to proposing a final common pathway in known mechanistic pathways that result in endothelial barrier integrity loss – vascular “leak” – primarily through a shared endothelial-epithelial signaling protein family, CCN.
Position and Weight Activated Passive Knee Mechanism

The human knee is a complex and robust system. It is the most important joint for human gait because of its immense load bearing ability. The loss of such an important joint often makes it difficult for a person to ambulate. Because of this and the resulting unnatural application of forces, many trans-femoral amputees develop an asymmetric gait that leads to future complications. Prosthetic knees are required to be well-designed to cope with all variabilities. There have been many prosthetic knee designs, some more complex than others. This paper describes the design and preliminary testing of a novel passive position and weight activated knee locking mechanism for use in lower limb prosthetics. This knee mechanism is designed to be a simple and economical alternative to existing knee mechanisms. The mechanism utilizes the dynamics of the user to lock the knee during stance and unlock during the swing phase. The presence of one moving component and a simple assembly makes this design a good base for customization. Results from testing the knee mechanism shows trends that are different from a normal human knee, which is to be expected. The prosthetic knee is designed to have low friction during swing of the shank and, hence, the flexion and extension angles and angular velocities are larger compared to a normal knee. The kinematics show a cyclic trend that is highly repeatable. Further refinement and testing can make this mechanism more efficient in mimicking a normal knee.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Locus of Control and Religious Affiliation

To ascertain the relationship between locus of control and religion, 83 subjects from introductory psychology courses were given the Rotter I-E scale and a questionnaire identifying religious affiliation. Analysis indicated greater externality for Catholics than for the Protestants.
Photochemical Processes Revealed by X-ray Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

After over a decade of development, X-ray transient absorption (XTA) spectroscopy has become an increasingly important and common tool in following molecular structures in chemical reactions and to map out structural factors that could influence reaction pathways. The Perspective reviews current achievements and capabilities in chemical dynamics from XTA spectroscopy based mainly on studies by the authors, collaborators, and cousers of the same facility and then outlines some future challenges and impacts in chemical sciences using pulsed X-rays from the third-generation synchrotron and the fourth-generation X-ray free-electron light sources.
Successful endovascular extraction of newer generation Angio-Seal collagen plug and anchor after acute embolization

A 75-year-old woman with past medical history of coronary bypass, atrial fibrillation, mitral valve repair undergoes percutaneous coronary intervention of left circumflex artery with a drug eluting stent. An Anglo-Seal vascular closure device was used post procedure to obtain hemostasis. Shortly after deployment, frank bleeding was observed necessitating manual compression at the arteriotomy site. After hemostasis was achieved, the right lower extremity was found to be pale, bluish with feeble pulses. Doppler ultrasound was emergently performed revealing decreased blood flow after mid superficial femoral artery (SFA) and an echo lucent object lodged luminally in the SFA. Patient was urgently taken to the vascular laboratory where an Angio-Seal device, including the collagen plug and anchor, was successfully removed endovascularly patient made full recovery and was discharged home the following day.
Resolution-enhancing hybrid, spectral CT reconstruction

Spectral x-ray imaging based on photon-counting x-ray detectors (PCXD) is an area of growing interest. By measuring the energy of x-ray photons, a spectral CT system can better differentiate elements using a single scan. However, the spatial resolution achievable with most PCXDs limits their application, particularly in preclinical CT imaging. Consequently, our group is developing a hybrid micro-CT scanner based on a high-resolution, energy-integrating (EID) detector and a lower-resolution, PCXD. To complement this system, we propose and demonstrate a hybrid, spectral CT reconstruction algorithm which robustly combines the spectral contrast of the PCXD with the spatial resolution of the EID. Specifically, the high-resolution, spectrally resolved data (X) is recovered as the sum of two matrices: one with low column rank (XL) determined from the EID data and one with intensity gradient sparse columns (XS) corresponding to the upsampled spectral contrast obtained from the PCXD data. We test the proposed algorithm in a feasibility study focused on molecular imaging of atherosclerotic plaque using activatable iodine and gold nanoparticles. The results show accurate estimation of material concentrations at increased spatial resolution for a voxel size ratio between the PCXD and the EID of 500 μm3:100 μm3. Specifically, regularized, iterative reconstruction of the MOBY mouse phantom around the K-edges of iodine (33.2 keV) and gold (80.7 keV) reduces the reconstruction error by more than a factor of three relative to least-squares, algebraic reconstruction. Likewise, the material decomposition accuracy into iodine, gold, calcium, and water improves by more than a factor of two.
Apparent competition between myoglobin and metallothionein for renal reabsorption.

SummaryArtery-to-vein and artery-to-urine transit characteristics of 125I-myoglobin across the rabbit kidney were compared to those of cadmium-metallothionein (CdMT) labelled with 109Cd, and their interaction during tubular reabsorption was determined. Both proteins are reabsorbed by a saturable system, mutually inhibit each other's reabsorption, and suffer similar tubular transit delays. On the basis of these results, and of the previous observation that myoglobin inhibition of CdMT reabsorption is fully reversible, we may tentatively conclude that the two proteins compete for reabsorption by a common transport system. This system also reacts with hemoglobin, indicating that its affinity for substrates is determined by factors other than purely size of the protein molecule.