cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ejection Fraction and Risk of Thromboembolic Events in Patients With Systolic Dysfunction and Sinus Rhythm: Evidence for Gender Differences in the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction Trials

Abstract Objectives. The aims of this study were to describe the incidence and spectrum of thromboembolic events experienced by patients with moderate to severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction in normal sinus rhythm and to study the association between ejection fraction and thromboembolic risk. Background. The annual incidence of thromboembolic events in patients with heart failure is estimated to range from 0.9% to 5.5%. Previous studies demonstrating a relation between worsening left ventricular systolic function and thromboembolic risk are difficult to interpret because of the prevalence of atrial fibrillation, an independent risk factor for thromboembolism, in the patients with a lower ejection fraction. Methods. This is a retrospective analysis of the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction prevention and treatment trials data base. Patients with atrial fibrillation were excluded, resulting in 6,378 participants in sinus rhythm at the time of randomization. Thromboembolic events include strokes, pulmonary emboli and peripheral emboli. Separate analyses were conducted in each gender because there was evidence of a significant interaction between ejection fraction and gender on the risk of thromboembolic events (p = 0.04). Results. The overall annual incidence of thromboembolic events was 2.4% in women and 1.8% in men. On univariate analysis, a decline in ejection fraction was not associated with thromboembolic risk in women (relative risk [RR] per 10% decrease in ejection fraction 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10 to 2.26, p = 0.01), but not in men. On multivariate analysis, a decline in ejection fraction remained independently associated with thromboembolic risk in women (RR per 10% decrease 1.53, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.20, p = 0.02), but no relation was demonstrated in men. Conclusions. In patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and sinus rhythm, the annual incidence of thromboembolic events is low. Ejection fraction appears to be independently associated with thromboembolic risk in women, but not in men. (J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:1074–80) © 1997 by the American College of Cardiology
Motion-compensated fully 4D reconstruction of gated cardiac sequences

In this paper we investigate the benefits of a spatio-temporal approach for reconstruction of cardiac image sequences. We introduce a temporal prior based on motion-compensation to enforce temporal correlations along the curved trajectories that follow the cardiac motion. The image frames in a sequence are reconstructed simultaneously through maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation. We evaluated the performance of our algorithm using the 4D gated mathematical cardiac-torso (gMCAT) D1.01 phantom to simulate gated SPECT perfusion imaging with Tc-99m-sestamibi. Our experimental results show that the proposed approach could significantly improve the accuracy of reconstructed images without causing cross-frame blurring that may arise form the cardiac motion.
Thyroid receptor activator molecule, TRAM-1, is an androgen receptor coactivator.

An androgen receptor (AR) interacting protein was isolated from a HeLa cell complementary DNA library by two-hybrid screening in yeast using the AR DNA and ligand binding domains [amino acids (aa) 481–919] as bait. AR binding of the protein in yeast was dependent on the presence of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The isolated protein is identical to thyroid receptor activator molecule TRAM-1 but lacking aa 1–458. TRAM-1 is a steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) subtype. In affinity matrix assays, 35S-labeled TRAM-1 bound the GST-AR ligand binding domain (aa 624–919) and GST-AR N-terminal and DNA binding domains (aa 1–660), but not the GST-AR DNA binding domain (aa 544–634) alone. Coexpression of TRAM-1 increased DHT-dependent AR transactivation 5-fold and constitutive activity of AR (aa 1–660) N-terminal and DNA-binding domains increased 9-fold. Full-length TRAM-1 (aa 1–1424) and the partial (aa 459-1424) were AR and GR coactivators as was SRC-1. In human testis, immunostaining of SRC-3 coloc...
Normal state properties in the cuprates and their Fermi liquid based interpretation

Abstract A central issue in the field of high temperature superconductivity is the nature of the normal state. Here we review normal state transport, thermodynamic, magnetic and spectroscopic data and discuss their interpretation within a Fermi liquid based framework. Comparison with other highly correlated systems, such as the heavy fermnion metals and the quantum liquid 3 He, is also presented. It is demonstrated that the cuprate data are not consistent with canonical Fermi liquid behavior. However, if the Fermi liquid is characterized by low energy scales, arising from narrow bandwidths or soft spin fluctuations, then canonical behavior is not expected at the relatively “high” temperatures of the normal state. In this way anomalies above T c may be reconciled with a Fermi liquid (ground state) picture. Here we review the two main Fermi liquid based schools and their interpretation of the data. These are the ”almost localized” and “almost magnetic” Fermi liquid descriptions. The dichotomy between these two nearinstabilities has appeared in the context of the heavy fermoins as well as liquid 3 He and seems to be generally associated with highly correlated systems. Both approaches have addressed the data with some success and it is clear that they are, in many respects, closely related. The relationship between other Fermi-liquid-like, as well as more unconventional schemes is also addressed. Here it is claimed that the strongest support for a Fermi liquid based approach to the cuprates derives from the comparison with other strongly correlated Fermi liquid systems, which exhibit similar normal state anomalies.
fMRI of severe to profoundly hearing-impaired infants and toddlers under sedation

Abstract Functional Magnetic Resonance (fMRI) can be used to visualize activation of the central auditory system in hearing-impaired (HI) children. fMRI is normally done by comparing images in a resting state with images of the brain acquired in a stimulated state. We use two stimulation tasks: auditory stimulation with tones and language stimulation with sentences read in a female voice. Results are presented for these stimuli presented in a conventional, block-periodic sequence. Robust activation is demonstrated in sedated, hearing-impaired children scanned with this method on a conventional 1.5-T MRI scanner. A new method of presenting auditory stimuli to subjects during silent intervals of the MRI scanner is also presented. This method, which we refer to as Hemodynamics Unrelated to Scanner Hardware (HUSH)-fMRI, takes advantage of the hemodynamic delay in the brain to permit acquisition of fMRI scans that are not confounded by the noise of the scanner itself. HUSH-fMRI results are given for a normal adult and a sedated infant, scanned on a 3.0-T MRI scanner. HUSH-fMRI allows for auditory stimulation in the absence of the loud gradient noises from the MRI scanner, and is an improvement over previous methods that administer auditory stimuli over background scanner noise.
Honorary Fellowship Awards and Professional Development in Psychiatry

Honorary fellowship awards are given each year by professional organizations in recognition of the achievements and future promise of psychiatric trainees. No data have been published to evaluate the characteristics of, or effects on, awardees. A 50-item instrument was developed to test four hypotheses. The confidential survey was mailed to award recipients identified by six major professional psychiatric associations. Data were analyzed by comparing responses with χ2 statistics and repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance. Responses from the award recipients from five of the organizations (N = 182, response rate = 55%) were analyzed. Fellowship awards were perceived as helpful to professional development. Certain fellowship-related experiences were seen as more important than others, and these varied as a function of the awarding organization and by gender. The awards had less importance than the recipients expected. Meeting with colleagues and leaders or mentors, prestige associated with the awards, networking, and learning about academic and organizational psychiatry were valued by the recipients. Enrichment of mentoring opportunities was identified as an area for improvement. The recipients described later involvement with professional organizations. Honorary fellowship award recipients represent a widely accomplished group of psychiatrists, who report their fellowship award experiences overall as beneficial to their career development. Perceived differences in fellowship programs should be interpreted in light of their varying goals, composition, and structures. Greater efforts to mentor awardees should be considered by fellowship programs.
Combined cholecystectomy and radical genitourinary cancer surgery

We have routinely performed simultaneous cholecystectomy in patients with cholelithiasis undergoing selected radical genitourinary cancer surgery. A total of 31 patients have undergone cholecystectomy at the time of radical nephrectomy (25), radical cystectomy (5), and radical prostatectomy (1). Operative time was increased twenty-five to forty-five minutes. There was no significant increase in blood loss, postoperative total bilirubin, or number of complications. No complications were directly attributable to the cholecystectomy except for 1 patient who had prolonged drainage from a closed suction drain in the gallbladder fossa. We conclude that concomitant cholecystectomy at the time of radical genitourinary cancer surgery does not significantly increase morbidity and recommend that it be performed in the presence of cholelithiasis.
States of Water Associated with Solids

This paper critically reviews the underlying factors which influence the physical chemical states of water when it is associated with solids, as well as the effects that this water can have on the ...
The Effects of K(+) Channel Blockade on Eccentric and Isotonic Twitch and Fatiguing Contractions in situ.

K+ channel blockers like 3,4-diaminopyridine (DAP) can double isometric muscle force. Functional movements require more complex concentric and eccentric contractions, however the effects of K+ channel blockade on these types of contractions in situ are unknown. Extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were stimulated in situ with and without DAP in anesthetized rats and fatigability was addressed using a series of either concentric or eccentric contractions. During isotonic protocols (5-100% load), DAP significantly shifted shortening- and maximum shortening velocity-load curves upward and to the right and increased power and work. Maximum shortening, maximum shortening velocity and power doubled while work increased by approximately 250% during isotonic contraction at 50% load. During isotonic fatigue, DAP significantly augmented maximum shortening, work, shortening velocity and power. During constant velocity eccentric protocols (2-12 mm/s), DAP increased muscle force during eccentric contractions at 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm/s. During eccentric contraction at a constant velocity of 6mm/s while varying the stimulation frequency, DAP significantly increased muscle force during 20, 40 and 70 Hz . The effects of DAP on muscle contractile performance during eccentric fatigue varied with level of fatigue. DAP-induced contractile increases during isotonic contractions were similar to those produced during previously studied isometric contractions, while the DAP effect during eccentric contractions was more modest. These findings are especially important in attempting to optimize functional electrical stimulation parameters for spinal cord injury patients while also preventing rapid fatigue of those muscles.
Chronic immobilization stress differentially affects the expression of BDNF mRNA and protein in the mouse hippocampus

Stress impacts multiple systems within the CNS, including the hippocampus. A key molecular mediator in hippocampal functions, including learning and memory, is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF mRNA is reported to be decreased following chronic (every day) immobilization stress (CIS) in the rat, however the effect on protein is unknown. Utilizing a mouse model of CIS, the hypothesis that total hippocampal BDNF protein, in addition to BDNF mRNA, would be decreased was tested. The effects of intermittent (alternating day) immobilization and cold stress on hippocampal BDNF protein levels was also examined. In this study it was demonstrated that CIS results in a small (8 per cent decrease relative to non-stressed controls), but significant (p = 0.0013) decrease in the exon coding for mature BDNF (exon VI). In addition, there was a significant (34 per cent, p = 0.005) decrease in the mRNA coding for exon I in the stressed animals. Contrary to expectations, however, CIS resulted in a significant (116 per cent, p = 0.0087) increase in hippocampal BDNF protein levels. Furthermore, both intermittent immobilization and chronic cold stress both increased BDNF protein levels. Chronic stress, therefore, differentially regulates BDNF mRNA and protein levels in the hippocampus. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relative Value for Milk Production of Field-cured and Field-baled, Artificially Dried-chopped, Artificially Dried-ground and Artificially Dried-pelleted Alfalfa When Fed as the Sole Source of Roughage to Dairy Cattle

Summary In two experiments, the relative value for milk production of various forms of alfalfa fed as the sole source of roughage was determined. In the first experiment, in which comparisons between field-cured and field-baled, artificially dried-ground and artificially dried-pelleted hays were made, actual milk production was greater and percentage of fat lower during the feeding of the pelleted form. No appreciable differences between hays were observed when milk yields were equated to FCM. In the second experiment, in which comparisons between field-cured and field-baled, artificially dried-chopped and artificially dried-pelleted hays were made, lowered hay consumption accompanied by lowered percentages of fat and FCM were observed during the feeding of the pelleted form. This was attributed to the hardness of the pellets. Chemical analyses of the hays fed and refused indicated considerable cow sorting of the field-cured and field-baled and artificially dried-chopped hays. Cows also were observed to differ with respect to this sorting.
IBM hamiltonian, Bohr collective hamiltonian and classical limit for an exactly soluble model with the symmetry of O(5)

Abstract Interacting boson model (IBM), Bohr collective hamiltonian and adiabatic collective model descriptions are derived from a shell model (describing pairing plus two-dimensional quadrupole-quadrupole interactions) with the symmetry of the Lie algebra O(5). The tools utilized for these purposes are three boson mappings from the fermion pair space, two exact and one approximate. Adiabatic descriptions are derived by two distinct methods. The extension of the methods of this paper to more realistic models is outlined.
The double helix of tropomyosin

THE tropomyosin molecule consists of two α helices, which form a coiled-coil a little over 400 A long1. Besides forming crystals, tropomyosin can be precipitated with divalent cations to produce needle shaped aggregates (showing a variety of patterns of cross striations in the electron microscope2) for which the detailed molecular packings have not been established. At low resolution, however, the α helices may be regarded as smooth rods. The structure of such aggregates could depend, to some extent, on considerations of closest packing of the rods. This possibility seems to have been first considered by Rudall3 in his discussion of the crystal structure of the α protein from Mantis egg case, where he showed that double helices may be close-packed to form sheets by staggering each double helix by one quarter of the pitch with respect to the next. I report here that the idea of a quarter stagger between tropomyosin molecules, in conjunction with certain electron microscope results, leads to a value for the pitch of the tropomyosin helix.
Reticular formation influence on neuronal transmission from perforant pathway through dentate gyrus

Summary Electrical stimulation of the perforant pathway discharges granule cell synchronously, giving rise to a characteristic evoked potential in the granule cell layer termed here the evoked action potential or EAP. In freely moving rats, we applied 3 pulses of low intensity electrical stimulation to the medullary reticular formation prior to the application of a perforant path pulse. The effect of prior reticular formation stimulation was a marked augmentation of the normal EAP response to the perforant path stimulus. The augmentation was dependent on the behavioral state of the experimental animal (it occurred during slow-wave sleep but not during still, alert behavior) and was eliminated by anesthetic agents. The latency of the EAP augmentation effect (minimum effective time interval between application of the reticular formation stimulus and the perforant path pulse) was 13–18 msec. In order to localize the sites in the medullary reticular formation from which EAP augmentation could be elicited, threshold currents for producing the effect were determined during dorso-ventral penetrations of a reticular formation stimulating electrode. EAP augmentation was elicited at low stimulus currents from a relatively broad region of the reticular formation. It was also noted that reticular formation stimulation which produced EAP augmentation always elicited one or more motor responses of the neck, back, face or vibrissae. Subsequent investigation of the pathways underlying these motor responses suggested that the effect of reticular formation stimulation on granule cell excitability was mediated by a polysynaptic pathway, the first segment of which was a projection to cells of nucleus gigantocellularis of the caudal medulla.
Horace A. Barker (1907-) pioneer of anaerobic metabolism.

Dr Horace A. Barker was born and raised in California. He obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1933, and became a faculty member at the same campus in 1936. He devoted his research to the study of bacterial metabolism. His contributions include the detailed studies of various aspects of metabolism such as synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids, fermentation of amino acids and purines, and carbohydrate transformations. He isolated and determined the structure and function of some enzymes and coenzymes from bacteria. He also specifically described many anaerobic metabolic pathways. Dr Barker retired in 1976.
Menstrual symptoms in college students: A controlled study

Thirty-five male and thirty-five female subjects completed daily a checklist consisting of 15 symptoms commonly associated with menstrual distress. Premenstrual, menstrual, and midcycle days' ratings were compared within and across groups. Males and females did not differ in symptom ratings during the premenstrual and midcycle periods. Females reported experiencing more sharp cramps, dull cramps, stomach pain, and bloating during the menstrual period: Females reported these symptoms to be only modestly distressing.
Selection of Tumorigenic Melanoma Cells Using ALDH

Despite increasing knowledge regarding melanoma-initiating cells (MICs), questions persist regarding the number and phenotypic nature of cells with tumor-generating capability. Evidence for a phenotypically distinct human MIC has been found in NOD/SCID (non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency) mice. However, a phenotypically distinct human MIC was not found in the NOD/SCIDIl2rg−/− (NSG) mouse model. The demonstration of a distinct population of human melanoma cells responsible for tumorigenesis and tumor cell self-renewal would provide an important target for new melanoma therapies. In this study, we show a 100-fold range in MIC frequency in human melanoma (1 in 18,000 to 1 in 1,851,000 cells) in the NOD/SCID mouse. In this model, human melanoma cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity were enriched 16.8-fold in tumorigenic cells over unfractionated (UNF) cells, such that 1 in 21,000 cells was a MIC. In the NSG mouse, the ALDH expressing cell population was enriched 100-fold in tumorigenic cells over UNF cells, such that one in four cells was a MIC. Xenograft melanomas that developed from ALDH+ cells displayed robust self-renewal, whereas those from ALDH− cells showed minimal self-renewal in vitro. Thus, ALDH+ melanoma cells have enhanced tumorigenicity over ALDH− cells and superior self-renewal ability.
Activation of guanylate cyclase and inhibition of platelet aggregation by endothelium-derived relaxing factor released from cultured cells

The aggregation of gel-filtered rabbit platelets by 50 microM ADP was inhibited by a labile factor produced by suspensions of cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Inhibition of aggregation occurred when indomethacin-treated endothelial cells (6.10(5) per ml) and rabbit platelets (3.2.10(8) per ml) were incubated together. This anti-aggregatory activity was characterized as similar to endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in that it was unstable at neutral pH and by its inhibition by hemoglobin. The activity was unaffected by treatment of the platelets and endothelial cells with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, and by the lipoxygenase inhibitor, BW755c. In association with the anti-aggregatory activity, the levels of cyclic GMP were elevated 4-fold. The effect of the EDRF-like product on the levels of cyclic nucleotides was mimicked by treatment of platelets with sodium nitroprusside, an activator of soluble guanylate cyclase; sodium nitroprusside had no measurable effect on the levels of cyclic nucleotides of endothelial cells. We conclude that a factor with the properties of EDRF inhibits platelet aggregation, and that this is associated with an activation of guanylate cyclase as in smooth muscle. Thus, EDRF may exert an inhibitory effect on platelets in a manner analogous to its actions on vascular smooth muscle.
Confidence and accuracy in the recall of deceptive and nondeceptive sentences.

Two experiments were carried out to study the metamemory theory of confidence for the domain of sentence recall. Experiment 1 used nondeceptive sentences and deceptive synonym substitution sentences. Experiment 2 used nondeceptive sentences and deceptive schema inference sentences. In both experiments there was a strong positive relationship between memory confidence and memory accuracy for nondeceptive items and a much reduced relationship for deceptive items. The results were interpreted as showing that participants generated their confidence judgments using the metamemory belief that complete recalls are accurate recalls. This metamemory belief was valid for the nondeceptive sentences, which led to the strong positive relationship between confidence and accuracy. The reduced relationship for the deceptive items was interpreted as being due to the participants not being aware of making errors on the deceptive items, and thus using their metamemory belief about completeness to assign inappropriately high confidence to recall errors. Overall the results were taken to support the metamemory theory of confidence.
Prospective analysis of circulating endostatin levels in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The aim of the current study was to assess circulating levels of endogenous endostatin in patients with renal carinoma and to determine the relationship of these levels to circulating levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and prognosis. METHODS The authors prospectively studied 66 patients (48 male, 18 female; mean age, 50 years) undergoing nephrectomy for renal carcinoma on clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute. Metastases were present in 51 of 66 patients (77%) at the time of nephrectomy. Preoperative and followup serum endostatin and VEGF levels were determined using competitive enzyme immunoassays and compared to a group of 32 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Associations between circulating endostatin levels and clinicopathologic variables, including survival, were determined. RESULTS Preoperative endostatin levels were higher in renal carcinoma patients than in healthy controls (P = 0.05). There was a weak to moderate correlation between pretreatment serum endostatin levels and serum VEGF levels (r = 0.47; P = 0.001), and levels of both proteins increased significantly following nephrectomy (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively; n = 41). In addition, patients whose endostatin levels increased more than twofold after nephrectomy had significantly poorer prognoses than patients without such an increase (P = 0.018). This association was more pronounced when patients without metastases were excluded (P = 0.0037). CONCLUSIONS Circulating endostatin levels are elevated in patients with renal carcinoma and correlate with circulating VEGF levels. Endostatin levels increase after nephrectomy, and patients with the greatest increases experience shortened survival times. These findings suggest an association between tumor aggressiveness and the production of endogenous endostatin in patients with renal carcinoma. Cancer 2002;95:1637–43. Published 2002 by the American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10845
A Model of the EGRET Source at the Galactic Center: Inverse Compton Scattering within Sagittarius A East and Its Halo

Continuum low-frequency radio observations of the Galactic center reveal the presence of two prominent radio sources, Sgr A East and its surrounding halo, containing nonthermal particle distributions with power-law indexes ~2.5-3.3 and ~2.4, respectively. The central 1-2 pc region is also a source of intense (stellar) UV and (dust-reprocessed) far-IR radiation that bathes these extended synchrotron-emitting structures. A recent detection of γ-rays (2EG J1746-2852) from within ~1° of the Galactic center by EGRET onboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) shows that the emission from this environment extends to very high energies. We suggest that inverse Compton scattering between the power-law electrons inferred from the radio properties of Sgr A East and its halo and the UV and IR photons from the nucleus may account for the possibly diffuse γ-ray source as well. We show that both particle distributions may be contributing to the γ-ray emission, although their relevant strength depends on the actual physical properties (such as the magnetic field intensity) in each source. If this picture is correct, the high-energy source at the Galactic center is extended over several arcminutes, which can be tested with the next generation of γ-ray and hard X-ray missions.
Latency Periods Between Alcohol-Related Traffic Violations: Implications for Recidivism

Objective: Before October 1, 2002, Maryland's regulations for relicensing drivers with 2 recorded alcohol-related traffic violations distinguished between offenders with 5 or more years between their first and second violations and those with less than 5 years. Our research examined whether this policy was supported by differential probabilities of recidivism and violation-free survival. Methods: We compared recidivism rates and survival probabilities among the 2 latency subgroups and 2 control groups (first offenders and drivers with no previous alcohol-related traffic violation). Data were extracted from Maryland's driver record database and segregated files and analyzed by age quintiles using Cox proportional hazards models containing identifiers for risk factors, including prior violations. All drivers (N = 64,536) were matched on age quintile, gender, and month of offenders’ index violations. Effects of violation histories on survival and recidivism probabilities were measured by contrasts of regress...
An empirical analysis of inter-acquisition time of free online content

Free, content-oriented Web sites depend on advertising revenues that are based on the number of visitors to the site. To induce visitors to acquire information quickly, these sites present information items according to their popularity. We empirically examine two key determinants of a visitor's inter-acquisition time (popularity and the number of information items previously acquired by the visitor) using a hazard model estimated from data obtained from del.icio.us, a social bookmarking site. The results indicate that inter-acquisition times are longer for heavy users and for less popular information items. The results are relevant for other free content-providing sites such as cnet.com and music.yahoo.com.
Do Molecules as Small as Neopentane Induce a Hydrophobic Response Similar to That of Large Hydrophobic Surfaces

This is the first of two papers aimed at understanding, from an atomistic perspective, hydrophobicity at different length scales and how properties such as local densities and angular profiles change for hydrophobic solutes of different sizes. In a subsequent publication we will describe the hydrophobic hydration and hydrophobic interaction of platelike molecules of nanoscale size. Molecular dynamics is used to compute radial and orientational distribution functions of water around three different molecules: argon, methane, and neopentane. In addition, the potential of mean force between two neopentane molecules is computed. The results for the full OPLS/AA1 force field are compared with the solute−solvent WCA truncated OPLS/AA force field for these systems. This work addresses the question of whether a molecule of the size of neopentane is large enough to induce a hydrophobic response similar to that of large hydrophobic molecules or paraffin walls. We answer this question in the affirmative. The orient...
Adaptive motion artifact suppression in CT

Applied Science LaboratoryG. E. Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI 53201ABSTRACTIt is well known that the respiratory motion during computed tomography (CT) causes artifacts that can mimic diseaseandcouldleadtomis—diagnosis. In thispaper, wepresentanadaptiveweighting scheme formotion artifactsuppression.The weighting scheme is based on the observation that the motion artifacts are caused by the inconsistency in theprojection data set at the beginning and end ofa scan. In general, the larger the discrepancy between the projections inthese two segments, the more pronounced the artifacts. We make use ofthe redundant data samples in a CT scan andtry to minimize the contributions ofthese views to the final image. By incorporating the information obtained from theexternal patient motion measurements, the amount of suppression can be tailored to the data set to achieve the bestcompromisebetween thepatientmotionartifacts and theimagenoise. Thismethodhas been appliedtoreal patient scansand its advantages have been demonstrated.Key words: computed tomography, motion artifacts, underscan weighting, adaptive motion suppression1. INTRODUCTIONThemathematics ofcomputedtomography (CT) reconstructionassumes thataconsistentsetofprojections are acquired.This condition requires that the projections are collected from the same object In a clinical environment, itimplies thatthe patient should remain stationary during the data collection. In many cases, however, this condition is not strictlyobserved as a result of the patient motion. The motion can be either voluntary (respiratory motion) or involuntary(peristalsis and cardiac motion). In general, the motion is three dimensional. The object can move, expand, or shrinkwithin the scanning plane. The entire object can also move in and out of the plane.
Does left-libertarianism have coherent foundations?

Left-libertarian theories of justice hold that agents are full self-owners and that natural resources are owned in some egalitarian manner. Some philosophers find left-libertarianism promising because it seems that it coherently underwrites both some demands of material equality and some limits on the permissible means of promoting such equality. However, the main goal of this article is to argue that, as far as coherence is concerned, at least one formulation of left-libertarianism is in trouble. This formulation is that of Michael Otsuka, who published it first in a 1998 article, and now in his thought-provoking book Libertarianism Without Inequality. In a nutshell, my objection is that the set of reasons that support egalitarian ownership of natural resources as Otsuka understands it stand in a deep tension with the set of reasons that would prompt one to endorse Otsuka’s right to self-ownership. In light of their underlying commitments, a defender of either of the views that left-libertarianism combin...
A missed opportunity

By focusing on the narrow question of the proper contractual interpretation of the extradition treaty, the Court missed the crux of theAlvarez-Machain case. The weakness in the decision, therefore, is not that the Court adopted the wrong contractual interpretation but rather that it failed frankly to address the real issue. Determining the appropriate role of the Court in formulating an international order in the post-cold war era is a difficult and complex problem. It raises delicate questions of foreign policy, separation of powers, and institutional competence. There are no easy answers. But the problem is not one that will—or should—go away. The issue must be debated in the courts, as well as in the political and academic arenas. By failing to confront this issue openly, the Supreme Court lost a valuable opportunity to start the debate and to begin to define the Court's role in forging the new world order.
HITEC Evaluation of U.S. Gypsum Sight and Sound Screen

A program of laboratory and field-testing designed to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the U.S. Gypsum Sight and Sound Screen (SSS) is described. The evaluation plan proposes a collaborative testing and evaluation effort to be conducted with volunteer state highway agencies, including a program of field demonstrations. This will occur after a new product evaluation protocol is completed and applied to the SSS system. The study is being conducted as part of Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center (HITEC) program of ASCE's Civil Engineering Research Foundation. This study highlights the HITEC evaluation process as it is applied to the SSS.
Treatment of attention deficit disorder with DL-phenylalanine

Nineteen patients meeting the criteria for attention deficit disorder, residual type (adult hyperactivity), were given a 2-week double-blind crossover of DL-phenylalanine versus placebo. Thirteen subjects completed the study; the mean global rating of improvement approached significance as compared with placebo. A significant improvement was noted on mood and mood lability. The phenylalanine responders were then continued on open drug, but lost all positive benefits within 3 months. A later open trial of L-phenylalanine produced no clinical effect.
Expression of the multifunctional Y-box protein, YB-1, in myofibroblasts of the infarcted rat heart.

Intracellular signaling mechanisms regulating the turnover of {alpha}-SMA-positive myofibroblasts (myoFbs) at the site of myocardial infarction (MI) are poorly understood. Y-Box (YB)-1, a multifunctional protein, may be involved in regulation of proliferation, migration and apoptosis of myoFbs. Our objective was to study the expression of YB-1 in the infarcted rat heart and its localization in myoFbs. On days 3-28 following MI, we monitored YB-1 expression and its colocalization with {alpha}-SMA, and proliferation markers PCNA and Ki-67 in infarcted tissue by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescent double-labeling. YB-1 is barely detectable in normal myocardium. At the infarct site, however, YB-1 is markedly elevated from day 3 post-MI concomitant with the induction of cell proliferation. MyoFbs are the major source of YB-1 and retain it up to day 28 post-MI. We suggest early expression of YB-1 promotes proliferation and migration of myoFbs, whereas prolonged expression may be responsible for scar formation.
Content validity of the wrat and grade level achievement of primary grade students

Abstract The Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) arithmetic and reading performance of randomly selected primary grade children in a suburban school district was compared to grade placement in reading and math, and text placement in reading. WRAT scores overestimated actual achievement in all grades tested. Because of differences in curriculum, the WRAT may not adequately identify significant underachievement in suspected learning-disabled students at kindergarten and grades 1 and 2.
Adenoacanthoma of the cecum.

Abstract A case of adenoacanthoma of the cecum is presented. Such cases are rare. The possibility that this case was related to the presence of a cecal fistula following cecostomy is suggested. A similar case is presented by Plenge. These cases may, perhaps, be considered as following metaplasia associated with long-standing chronic inflammation. In other cases, however, the neoplasm may arise from undifferentiated “basal” cells or from misplaced embryonic rests.
Perceptions of chilly IT organizational contexts and their effect on the retention and promotion of women in IT

Research on gender differences suggests that women lack the personal characteristics necessary to flourish in male-dominated IT cultures and subcultures. Organizational research suggests that organizational cultures and climates can significantly affect participation and employment outcomes, such as the participation and promotion of women. "Women-friendly" workplaces exist (Working Women's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers"), yet female success in IT continues to decline. This paper lays the groundwork for a study of organizational contexts, organization members' perceptions of these contexts, and their effects on women's retention and promotion in IT organizations.
Scale-Related Aspects of Nested Finite Difference Ocean Models

We describe a fully nonlinear wind-forced nested ocean model. The model has been configured for both the Greenland–Iceland–Norwegian (GIN) Sea, an open ocean basin, and the Mediterranean Sea, a semienclosed basin. Prescribed nested boundary conditions are corrected with a mixed Orlanski/Flather-type radiation of the difference between the two numerical solutions. A second correction can then be made to restore conservation of desired properties across the grid interface. The nested experiments have produced multiyear simulations in good agreement with the basin-wide model. The differences between the basin-wide and the limited-area solutions are related, in part, to the different scales present in the respective numerical solutions. We attribute our ability to produce realistic year long limited-area nested simulations to a reduction of these scale-related modeling differences, including reducing the effects of aliasing between the two grids.
Examining the Effects of Regression Procedures on the Temporal Stability of Parameter Estimates in Marketing Models

This article investigates the temporal stability of parameter estimates by comparing the results obtained from ordinary least squares, ridge, and latent root regression techniques in two models plagued with ill-conditioned data. Ridge regression is found to provide improved individual coefficient stability through time and also to have slightly greater predictive accuracy beyond the original estimation period in both models. Temporal stability of marketing model parameters is important if the model is to prove useful to marketing decision makers in making inferences about the marginal impacts of individual predictor variables.
Suboptimal continuous torque attitude maneuvers for underactuated spacecraft

Abstract This work provides a suboptimal continuous torque solution for controlling an underactuated spacecraft using two control inputs. A sequential submaneuver strategy is proposed. Classical quadratic penalty approaches for the control lead to jump discontinuities in the resulting control time history that can potentially excite an unwanted flexible body response. To address this operational concern, this work revises the definition for the optimal control problem by introducing a torque-rate penalty in the performance index. The significant advantage derived from this approach is that control design freedom becomes available for specifying internal control state boundary conditions, which effectively eliminates the undesirable jump discontinuities. Further optimization is achieved by introducing a positive definite weight matrix that penalizes the quadratic control term. This weight matrix allows optimal tuning for the control performance where a balance is achieved between the often conflicting goals of minimizing the applied control during the maneuver and simultaneously enforcing the requirement that the resulting control be free of jump discontinuities. Numerical simulation results are presented to prove the effectiveness of the proposed method. The resulting control solutions are compared with a related approach for an underactuated system.
Combined-Coding Techniques For Radiographic Image Data Compression

A new coding scheme, namely combined coding (CC) is proposed in this paper. The main point behind CC is to divide the image into two image sets with different statistical properties, then exploit those properties to code the sets more efficiently. Three variations are distinguished and discussed. Two particular CC schemes are identified as CC scheme 1 and CC scheme 2. For the CC 1, i.e. Run-length mapping then entropy coding for the upper image set (UIS) and Peano-differential mapping then Ziv-Lempel coding for the lower image set (LIS), the experimental results are tabulated and compared with other methods. For CC scheme 2, i.e. same coding method for the UIS and transform coding the LIS, both the rate-distortion performance and actual coding results are given. It is noted that the CC significantly reduces the "blocking effect" and this property is very useful for clinical decisions. This scheme seems to provide a good tradeoff and an efficient solution to practical image transmission and archival applications.
Improved Surface Volume Estimates for Surface Irrigation Volume-Balance Calculations

Abstract This article reviews procedures for estimating surface storage in surface irrigation volume balance calculations. Those procedures are based on the assumption of a power law relationship for flow depth as a function of distance along the stream. The analysis uses zero-inertia simulation and a system of dimensionless variables to examine how the depth profile varies as a function of hydraulic conditions when infiltration is given by the empirical extended Kostiakov equation. Alternatives for approximating the exponent of the depth profile power law (β ) are suggested. The magnitude of the resulting errors relative to zero-inertia model predictions is quantified. Results show that the range of variation for the parameter β increases with field slope, with increasing advance length relative to the maximum advance distance, and when infiltration rates are relatively constant with time during the irrigation event. Estimating β as a function of advance distance is most challenging under these condition...
High-performance liquid chromatography determination of praziquantel enantiomers in human serum using a reversed-phase cellulose-based chiral stationary phase and disc solid-phase extraction

Abstract A sensitive HPLC method for the quantification of praziquantel enantiomers in human serum is described. The method involves the use of a novel disc solid-phase extraction for sample clean-up prior to HPLC analysis and is also free of interference from trans-4-hydroxypraziquantel, the major metabolite of praziquantel. Chromatographic resolution of the enantiomers was performed on a reversed-phase cellulose-based chiral column (Chiralcel OJ-R) under isocratic conditions using a mobile phase consisting of 0.1 M sodium perchlorate–acetonitrile (66:34, v/v) at a flow-rate of 0.5 ml/min. Recoveries for R-(−)- and S-(+)-praziquantel enantiomers were in the range of 84–89% at 50–500 ng/ml levels. Intra-day and inter-day precisions calculated as R.S.D. were in the ranges of 3–8% and 1–8% for both enantiomers, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day accuracies calculated as percent error were in the 0.2–5% and 0.3–8% ranges for both enantiomers, respectively. Linear calibration curves were in the concentration range 10–600 ng/ml for each enantiomer in serum. The limit of quantification of each enantiomer was 10 ng/ml. The detection limit for each enantiomer in serum using a UV detector set at 210 nm was 5 ng/ml (S/N=2).
Elections, Fraud, and Election Monitoring in the Shadow of Revolution

Elections are modeled as a public signal in an incomplete information game of revolution. By changing beliefs about the general level of antiregime sentiment, elections can make citizens more or less apt to rebel and hence make a successful revolution more or less likely. This effect makes elections valuable to incumbents that are not secure in office as they have more to gain by good results than they have to lose from bad results. Electoral fraud is modeled as a distortion of the public signal, and election monitoring is incorporated as changing the cost of this distortion. In equilibrium, citizens discount the distortion, so the average protest size and probability of revolution are the same as when the incumbent cannot commit fraud. This makes election monitoring valuable to incumbents as it ties their hands and lowers the equilibrium amount of fraud. So, elections may be held that would not occur in the absence of monitoring.
$pi$-N SCATTERING LENGTH AND SINGULARITIES IN THE COMPLEX J PLANE

A sum rule enabling experimental investigation as to whether there are Regge poles only or whether there exist cuts in the complex angular momentum plane is proposed, (L.N.N.)
SDS purification of porcine H,K-ATPase from gastric mucosa.

A highly purified membrane fraction of H, K-ATPase was isolated from hog gastric mucosa by using differential centrifugation, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS: 0.125%) treatment and density-gradient centrifugation. The final fraction showed a major band at 97 kD by SDS-gel electrophoresis. This purified H, K-ATPase sedimented at the interface of a 28–35 % sucrose step gradient and displayed a specific activity of 140–170 µmol Pi/h/mg protein and a ratio of K-stimulated ATPase activity to Mg-stimulated ATPase activity of 6.5–8. 7. The apparent Km for ATP was 0.154 mM and the Km for K+ was o. 6 mM. The enzymatic activity recovered from this purification procedure was K+-ionophore-independent. SDS treatment in the presence of 2.5 mM ATP did not change the kinetic properties of the isolated enzyme. Exclusion of ATP during SDS solubilization diminished the enzymatic activity by 90%, indicating that ATP protection is essential for the full recovery of enzymatic activity. In summary, mild SDS solubilization can be us...
Effects of a GABA-ergic medication combination and initial alcohol withdrawal severity on cue-elicited brain activation among treatment-seeking alcoholics

Rationale Many studies have reported medication effects on alcohol cue-elicited brain activation or associations between such activation and subsequent drinking. However, few have combined the methodological rigor of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) with follow-up assessments to determine whether cue-elicited activation predicts relapse during treatment, the crux of alcoholism.