cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Efficacy of the Lipid-Lowering Armamentarium: The Clinical Benefits of Aggressive Lipid-Lowering Therapy

Hypercholesterolemia, particularly an elevated level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, is an unarguably established risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). It is equally well established that lowering LDL cholesterol levels will decrease CAD-related morbidity and mortality in patients with established CAD. Although lipid-lowering therapy is known to retard the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with native coronary arteries, its effect in patients with coronary bypass grafts, which are particularly vulnerable to occlusion, is less well understood. Moreover, whereas several major clinical trials have documented the benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol in a variety of patient subpopulations, there has been far less clarity surrounding the question of whether aggressive lowering of LDL cholesterol is of greater benefit than moderate lowering of LDL cholesterol. The Post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (Post-CABG) trial, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trial comprising 1,351 patients with elevated levels of LDL cholesterol and a history of bypass surgery was designed to determine whether aggressive lowering of LDL cholesterol levels with therapy based on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors ("statins") is more effective than moderate lowering in delaying the progression of atherosclerosis in bypass grafts. Quantitative computer-assisted angiography was conducted at baseline and again at an average of 4.3 years. The primary angiographic outcome was the mean percentage per patient of grafts with a decrease of > or = 0.6 mm in lumen diameter. Patients who received aggressive therapy were significantly more likely than their moderate-treatment counterparts to achieve and maintain LDL cholesterol levels within the National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP's) recommended target of < or = 100 mg/dL (< or = 2.59 mmol/L). Moreover, the mean percentage of grafts with progression of atherosclerosis was 27% for aggressively treated patients, compared with 39% for those who were randomized to the moderate-treatment group (p < 0.001). This study demonstrates that aggressive lipid lowering is practical and worthwhile in at-risk patients. Aggressive treatment is far more effective than moderate treatment in lowering LDL cholesterol levels to the NCEP target level of < or = 100 mg/dL (< or = 2.59 mmol/L), and this intervention decreases the progression of atherosclerosis.
Bioactivity of Visual Pigments with Sterically Modified Retinal Analogs

Abstract Studies of several retinal analogs and the rhodopsin pigments incorporating them, lead to further clarification of the structural requirement of the retinal chromophore in the photoactivation process of rhodopsin. The data with a pigment incorporating an acyclic retinal show that the cyclohexene moiety is not required for formation of a stable pigment, which, however, has a reduced photoactivity. Our data also show that extra methyl groups at 13- and 14-positions of 11- cis retinal reduce the rate of retinal binding, photoactivity, and stability of the pigments. These data, taken together, give rise to a clear picture about the binding environment of the retinal chromophore and how retinal interacts with and activates the protein following its photoisomerization. The opsin/11- cis retinal complex has evolved into an ideal system, which is capable of converting photoenergy into Meta-II formation with high efficiency, critical for visual transduction.
Variable Delay of Feedback Procedures and Subsequent Concept Formation Transfer

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of variable delay-of-feedback conditions on transfer (immediate and delayed transfer tasks) in concept formation. The conditions of delay of feedback in both experiments were 0, 10, and 30 s, respectively. Delay of feedback was varied at random between 10 and 30 s for participants in the remaining condition in both experiments. Among the major findings was that although delay of feedback slows concept attainment, it facilitated transfer in all transfer tasks. Furthermore, variable information feedback during acquisition resulted in the most transfer. The results demonstrate that conditions that make it more difficult for participants to initially learn a task may have positive benefits for transfer. Implications of the findings for educational settings are discussed.
p-i-n Diodes for Monolithic Millimeter Wave BiCMOS Applications

An integrated p-i-n diode for use in SiGe BiCMOS technology applications has been developed. The device may be used into the MMW frequency range
Analysis Of Halogenated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins And Dibenzofurans Using Matrix Isolation GC/FT-IR

Reference gas chromatographic/matrix isolation/Fourier transform infrared (GC/MI/FT-IR) spectra have been recorded for the fifteen laterally chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, the octachlorinated species of these two parent molecules, and the two 2,3,7,8-tetrabrominated compounds. The GC/MI/FT-IR technique provides isomer-specific spectra of these compounds, and detection limits for these substances using this method range from several hundred picograms to approximately one nanogram.
Binary optics for optical interconnects

Four- and eight-level diffractive optical elements (DOES) are fabricated in silicon using electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching. An f/1.9. 1-mm diameter, four-phase level, reflective off-axis, imaging DOE is fabricated for use in a free-space optical interconnect. The absolute first-order efficiency of the DOE is 73%. Eight-level linear gratings are fabricated to determine processing tolerances for DOEs with first order-diffraction efficiencies greater than 90%.
Effect of Fish and Poultry Byproduct Meal on the Small Intestine and Gizzard of Broilers

Commercial mixed-sex broiler chicks were used in two experiments to study the effects of various levels of Peruvian fish meal (PFM), menhaden fish meal (MFM) and poulty byproduct meal (PBPM) on the small intestine and gizzard. Intestinal and gizzard lesions were observed in broilers receiving finisher diets containing 7% or 12% PFM. The broilers receiving diets containing 12% MFM or 12% PBPM had intestinal and gizzard lesion scores that were not significantly different from those of the control broilers. The severity of intestinal lesions was greater than that of gizzard lesions in most groups. The causative agent in the PFM has not been identified.
On reconstruction error of Kohonen self-organizing mapping

In this paper, we analyze how the number of weights and the size of neighborhood in the SOM algorithm affect the reconstruction error. One-dimensional random variables with a uniform distribution and fixed sizes of neighborhood are considered. First, we give the linear equation that for any number of weights and any size of neighborhood can satisfy the equilibrium state. We find that the SOM algorithm converges to the unique minimal point of the reconstruction error if and only if the size of neighborhood is one. If the size is greater than one, the /spl infin/-norm between an equilibrium state and the minimal point is proportional to the size of neighborhood and inversely proportional to the number of weights. Upper and lower bounds of the reconstruction error are given. The upper bound is proportional to a cube of the neighborhood size and inversely proportional to a square of the number of weights. The main part of the lower bound is proportional to a cube of the ratio of the size of neighborhood to the number of weights. These mean that in order to achieve a small reconstruction error, the size of neighborhood must be small. All the results are proved.
Translational Research 2.0: a framework for accelerating collaborative discovery

The world wide web has revolutionized the conduct of global, cross-disciplinary research. In the life sciences, interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving and collaboration are becoming increasingly important in facilitating knowledge discovery and integration. Web 2.0 technologies promise to have a profound impact – enabling reproducibility, aiding in discovery, and accelerating and transforming medical and healthcare research across the healthcare ecosystem. However, knowledge integration and discovery require a consistent foundation upon which to operate. A foundation should be capable of addressing some of the critical issues associated with how research is conducted within the ecosystem today and how it should be conducted for the future. This article will discuss a framework for enhancing collaborative knowledge discovery across the medical and healthcare research ecosystem. A framework that could serve as a foundation upon which ecosystem stakeholders can enhance the way data, information and ...
Antimicrobial Activity of Marine WATERS.1 I. Macromolecular Nature of Antistapi-Iylococcal Factor

Water from Vineyard Sound, Mass., has a rapid bactericidal activity against both penicillin-sensitive and -resistant strains of Stu~h~Zococcus nuwus but under the conditions of these experiments, exhibits no anticoliform effect. It has been demonstrated that the active factor is a large, non-dialyzablc, autoclave-labile molecule. The preponderance of gram-negative bacteria in the sea is discussed in light of the above findings.
A system for the diagnosis of specific language impairment in kindergarten children.

A valid and reliable diagnostic standard for language impairment is required for the conduct of epidemiologic research on specific language disorder. A rationale is provided for such a diagnostic s...
Exact conditions on the temperature dependence of density functionals

Universal exact conditions guided the construction of most ground-state density functional approximations in use today. We derive the relation between the entropy and Mermin free energy density functionals for thermal density functional theory. Both the entropy and sum of kinetic and electron-electron repulsion functionals are shown to be monotonically increasing with temperature, while the Mermin functional is concave downwards. Analogous relations are found for both exchange and correlation. The importance of these conditions is illustrated in two extremes: the Hubbard dimer and the uniform gas.
Automatic Instruction-Level Software-Only Recovery

As chip densities and clock rates increase, processors are becoming more susceptible to transient faults that can affect program correctness. Computer architects have typically addressed reliability issues by adding redundant hardware, but these techniques are often too expensive to be used widely. Software-only reliability techniques have shown promise in their ability to protect against soft-errors without any hardware overhead. However, existing low-level software-only fault tolerance techniques have only addressed the problem of detecting faults, leaving recovery largely unaddressed. In this paper, we present the concept, implementation, and evaluation of automatic, instruction-level, software-only recovery techniques, as well as various specific techniques representing different trade-offs between reliability and performance. Our evaluation shows that these techniques fulfill the promises of instruction-level, software-only fault tolerance by offering a wide range of flexible recovery options.
Design of on-line division unit

A gate array implementation of a radix-2 floating-point online division algorithm is presented. The design requires 111 equivalent gates per bit and has a cycle time of 24 ns. For 8-b exponent and 24-b mantissa, the design requires 2497 equivalent gates and can fit on an LSI Logic LL9320P chip with a utilization factor 78%. >
SCHEDULING TO MINIMIZE MAKESPAN ON UNEQUAL PARALLEL PROCESSORS

The problem of scheduling n independent jobs on m unequal parallel processors to minimize makespan is known to be very difficult for the nonpreemptive case. Until recently, research on this problem has consisted primarily of investigating the “worst case” behavior for simple approximation algorithms for the special cases of equal or uniform processors. Recently, Ibarra and Kim [10] have completed a similar analysis on five simple heuristics for general unequal processors. The approach in the present paper is to investigate the “average” behavior via large-scale computational testing. A new heuristic is devised. It is tested on a large number of problems (about 9,000) for both uniform and general processors, and the results are compared with the best solutions obtained from a truncated branch-and-bound procedure. It is observed that, although the heuristic takes negligible time compared to the branch-and-bound procedure, on the average it is within 5 percent of the latter in the uniform case and within 1.3 percent in the general case. It also performs better than a composite heuristic whose output, for any given problem, is the best of all previously suggested heuristics.
Imaging findings after radiofrequency ablation of adrenal tumors.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to describe the imaging findings after radiofrequency ablation of adrenal tumors.MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively reviewed the imaging findings of all patients with adrenal tumors treated with radiofrequency ablation in our department from January 2001 through August 2009. The studies were reviewed in consensus by two attending abdominal imaging radiologists and an abdominal imaging fellow. Imaging findings before, immediately after, and at short- and long-term follow-up after ablation were recorded.RESULTS. Fourteen patients (seven men, seven women; mean age, 56 ± 8.4 years) underwent radiofrequency ablation of adrenal tumors. One case of small pneumothorax and one case of small hemothorax were the only minor complications (complication rate, 14%). The expected side effects of radiofrequency ablation were found in 35% of patients: in two patients adjacent liver parenchyma was ablated, in two patients the diaphragmatic crus was injured, and in two patients...
Punitive sentiment among the Shuar and in industrialized societies: cross-cultural similarities

Cross-cultural diversity in economic game behavior has been cited as evidence that humans do not possess psychological adaptations specialized for cooperation in collective actions (CAs). In this paper, it is argued that such adaptations may, in fact, exist and that their design may be illuminated by the appropriate kinds of cross-cultural data. To exemplify an aspect of cooperation that may not vary cross culturally, data are provided suggesting that, in the CAs of Shuar hunter– horticulturists, punitive sentiment towards free riders takes a form similar to that which it takes in industrialized societies: It is experienced mainly by high contributors and directed mainly at CA beneficiaries who could have contributed highly but chose not to. If anti-free-rider punitive sentiment is essentially similar cross culturally, then it may be the product of a species-typical psychological mechanism specialized for such sentiment. How such a mechanism may have evolved is discussed.
Market Value Impact Of Joint Ventures: The Effect Of Industry Information-Processing Load

Previous studies of the market value impact of announcements of joint ventures have not considered industry effects. We suggest that the impact of such announcements varies with the information-pro...
Clone preference by nesting birds in short-rotation coppice plantations in central and western New York

Abstract Interest in short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) for bioenergy production has been increasing in the northeastern United States. The possibility that substantial farmland could be converted to bio-fuel production has increased the importance of evaluating how this type of habitat might affect the populations of birds typically found in agricultural landscapes. In this study, we identified 39 species that regularly used SRWC plantations, and of these at least 21 were confirmed breeding on 12 study plots. Breeding birds constructed nests highly non-randomly with respect to willow/poplar clone. Nests were built more frequently than expected by chance in certain clones (e.g. S25 and S365) while fewer nests than expected were built in other clones (e.g. S301). Observed preferences may have been related to clone-specific differences in growth structure, which may affect the stability of the nest and/or concealment from predators. Although we found no significant correlation between reproductive success and the choice of clone for a nest site, the mix of clones chosen for large-scale SRWC plantations may affect the attractiveness of these sites for some species. We tentatively conclude that planting S25 and particularly S365, and perhaps avoiding the use of S301, might benefit avian breeding populations, and increase avian species richness.
Comparison of classical nucleation theories with monte carlo simulations of ising models

We present Monte Carlo results for switching in two and three dimensional Ising models in order to compare with classical nucleation theory. For the case of step-function voltage pulses classical n...
An optimization technique for addressing DEM misregistration in hilly terrain

ABSTRACTDigital elevation models (DEMs) represent the Earth’s topography and support a variety of applications, ranging from extracting watershed drainage structure to measuring glacier volume. Applications that require conflation of multiple DEMs are problematic, however, because of misregistration. We explore a spatial optimization technique to quantify the misregistration on the pixel level between NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) elevation data set and the USGS’s National Elevation Dataset (NED). The misregistration, estimated within blocks by horizontal offset and direction, is modelled spatially in terms of typical topographical parameters: slope, aspect and elevation. A Nelder–Mead algorithm was implemented to compute the local shift at two study sites in the San Gabriel Mountains (SGM) and Santa Monica Mountains (SMM) in Los Angeles County, California. The magnitude of misregistration is generally less than the distance between DEM postings, and varies by terrain type, being larger i...
IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR FOOD HYPERSENSITIVITY

Foods are an important cause of severe acute hypersensitivity reactions including fatal anaphylaxis. Food allergy has been estimated to be the most frequent cause of anaphylaxis treated in emergency rooms. 69 Severe reactions to foods can occur at all ages, from infants receiving cow's milk or casein or whey hydrolysate formulas 21 , 57 to children, adolescents, and adults. 56 , 70 Although some reactions caused by formula proteins in infants may decrease in intensity with age, 7 the risk for severe reactions to other foods persists for long periods of time, even in absence of exposure. 8 The current management of patients with severe acute food reactions is based on avoidance of specific foods and on the availability of emergency medications to immediately treat an acute reaction. These severe reactions have been associated with fish, shellfish, nuts and seeds, legumes, celery, and to a lesser extent with grains, milk, and eggs. 7 , 8 , 70 It is clear from looking at this list that even the most careful patients may not be safe from an accidental or inadvertent exposure. In most instances, individuals experiencing a food-induced anaphylactic reaction have inadvertently ingested the food that caused the allergic reaction. 56 The unpredictability of accidental exposures and the long periods of time during which patients at risk may not come in contact with the offending foods makes it difficult to have acute treatment medications available at all times, which is necessary for the prevention of fatal food reactions. 56 , 70 The vast majority of the acute, severe reactions to food appear to be IgE-mediated, although non–IgE-mediated reactions can also account for some severe food reactions. 28 The presence of IgE antibodies as the likely cause for severe acute food reactions suggests the possibility of changing this allergic reactivity to a less noxious or even protective form of immune response through immunotherapy or by altering the ability of major food allergens to interact with IgE antibodies through molecular biology methods. Strategies for developing any potentially successful food allergy immunotherapy for patients with life-long sensitivities must satisfy several requirements. First, these methods must be safe and provide an optimal risk-to-benefit ratio for the patient. Procedures must be cost effective and relatively easy to perform so that patients can be treated on a routine basis. In the ensuing discussion, we explore the mucosal immune response as it relates to food allergy, potential treatments of food-allergic individuals through alteration of the host immune responses, use of mucosal vaccines, and traditional and novel approaches to immunotherapy. Finally, genetic engineering and its use to alter allergenic protein molecules to reduce or abolish their allergenicity is discussed.
Laser Diffraction Spectroscopy: Influence of Particle Shape and a Shape Adaptation Technique

The evaluation algorithm employed in laser diffraction spectroscopy is usually based on the Fraunhofer diffraction theory for spheres. As this evaluation theory is limited to spheres only, the measurement of irregularly shaped particles results in errors in the evaluated particle size distribution. To determine the influence of the particle shape, measurements of arbitrarily shaped particles were simulated, evaluated and compared with results for spherical particles of the same projected area. The detailed investigations showed that the particle's microstructure, i.e. its surface roughness, has almost no or only a negligible effect on the measurement result. In contrast to this advantageous outcome, the particle's microstructure, i.e. its axis ratio, affects the measurement result greatly and must be taken into account in the evaluation method. Based on these results, particles were considered to be ellipsoids with specific (but negligible) surface structures and a mathematical adaptation method was developed by extending the evaluation theory from spheres to randomly in space oriented ellipsoids. Simulations and experiments with reticles verified the need for this adaptation technique and its efficiency when applied.
Ecdysial cleavage lines of acariform mites (Arachnida, Acari)

Among mites the ancestral ecdysial cleavage line, or line of dehiscence (a), is inferred by outgroup comparison to be prodehiscent: U-shaped, passing around the front of the mite just above the insertions of the appendages, such that the mite ecloses anteriorly. From preserved and living individuals and exuviae, we found prodehiscence (or its slight variations) to be widespread in Acariformes. It appears to be pervasive in endeostigmatic mites, eupodine Prostigmata, and basal taxa in the Oribatida (Enarthronota, Palaeosomata); it is dominant in cleutherengone Prostigmata and is present in at least one anystine family (Caeculidae). Three general modes of dehiscence are considered to be derived within acariform mites. (1) Merodehiscence is a transverse splitting of the dorsal cuticle at or near the juncture of proterosoma and hysterosoma; it evolved separately in thrcc groups of Prostigmata (Tetranychidae, an undefined subgroup within Cheylctidae, and active instars of Parasitengona) and in a genus of Astigmata (Histiogaster). (2) Trarnsdehiscence is a transverse splitting of the dorsal hysterosomal cuticle anterior to the opisthosomal glands; it occurs in middle-derivative oribatid mites (the paraphyletic Desmonomata), and new observations show it to be widespread in Astigmata, lending support to the hypothesis that the latter group evolved from within Desmonomata. (3) Circumdehiscence is a circumferential splitting of the hysterosomal cuticle that may be incomplete anteriorly; it has long been known to characterize the monophyletic oribatid taxon Brachypylina, but it is convergent with a similar dehiscence in an unrelated family, Lohmanniidae. Transdehiscent and circumdehiscent mites eclose posteriorly. Astigmata exhibit the greatest variety of modes of dehiscence, including the three derived modes and a probable reversal to prodehiscence in Algophagidae. Furthermore, heteromorphic deutonymphs (hypopi) may ecdyse differently from other immature instars of the same species.
Agricultural Set-aside Programs and Grassland Birds: Insights from Broad-scale Population Trends

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary set-aside program in the United States designed to ameliorate soil erosion, control crop overproduction, enhance water quality, and provide wildlife habitat by replacing crops with other forms of land cover. Because CRP includes primarily grass habitats, it has great potential to benefit declining North American grassland bird populations. We looked at the change in national and state population trends of grassland birds and related changes to cover-specific CRP variables (previous research grouped all CRP practices). Changes in national trends after the initiation of the CRP were inconclusive, but we observed signficant bird-CRP relations at the state level. Most bird-CRP relations were positive, except for some species associated with habitats that CRP replaced. Practice- and configuration-specific CRP variables were related to grassland bird trends, rather than a generic measure of all CRP types combined. Considering all CRP land as a single, distinct habitat type may obscure actual relations between birds and set-aside characteristics. Understanding and predicting the effects of set-aside programs (like CRP or agri-environment schemes) on grassland birds is complex and difficult. Because available broad-scale datasets are less than adequate, studies should be conducted at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.
Statistical power as a function of Cronbach alpha of instrument questionnaire items

In countless number of clinical trials, measurements of outcomes rely on instrument questionnaire items which however often suffer measurement error problems which in turn affect statistical power of study designs. The Cronbach alpha or coefficient alpha, here denoted by C α , can be used as a measure of internal consistency of parallel instrument items that are developed to measure a target unidimensional outcome construct. Scale score for the target construct is often represented by the sum of the item scores. However, power functions based on C α have been lacking for various study designs. We formulate a statistical model for parallel items to derive power functions as a function of C α under several study designs. To this end, we assume fixed true score variance assumption as opposed to usual fixed total variance assumption. That assumption is critical and practically relevant to show that smaller measurement errors are inversely associated with higher inter-item correlations, and thus that greater C α is associated with greater statistical power. We compare the derived theoretical statistical power with empirical power obtained through Monte Carlo simulations for the following comparisons: one-sample comparison of pre- and post-treatment mean differences, two-sample comparison of pre-post mean differences between groups, and two-sample comparison of mean differences between groups. It is shown that C α is the same as a test-retest correlation of the scale scores of parallel items, which enables testing significance of C α . Closed-form power functions and samples size determination formulas are derived in terms of C α , for all of the aforementioned comparisons. Power functions are shown to be an increasing function of C α , regardless of comparison of interest. The derived power functions are well validated by simulation studies that show that the magnitudes of theoretical power are virtually identical to those of the empirical power. Regardless of research designs or settings, in order to increase statistical power, development and use of instruments with greater C α , or equivalently with greater inter-item correlations, is crucial for trials that intend to use questionnaire items for measuring research outcomes. Further development of the power functions for binary or ordinal item scores and under more general item correlation strutures reflecting more real world situations would be a valuable future study.
Word learning is 'smart': evidence that conceptual information affects preschoolers' extension of novel words

Two experiments document that conceptual knowledge influences 3-year-olds’ extension of novel words. In Experiment 1, when objects were described as having conceptual properties typical of artifacts, children extended novel labels for these objects on the basis of shape alone. When the very same objects were described as having conceptual properties typical of animate kinds, children extended novel labels for these objects on the basis of both shape and texture. Moreover, providing a salient perceptual cue (Experiment 2) did not interfere with children’s reliance on conceptual information in extending novel words: when an object with eyes was labeled with a novel word in the context of a story describing the object as an artifact, children extended the label on the basis of shape alone (i.e. as though the object were an artifact). These results, which challenge directly the position that ‘dumb attentional mechanisms’ can account for word learning, stand as evidence for the central role of conceptual information in mapping words to meaning. q 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Analysis of a square helix applicable to the personal satellite communication handset

The initial results from a study of one candidate antenna for a personal satellite transceiver handset, a square thin-wire helix, are presented with the intent to study the possible effects the presence of the operator will have on the radiation characteristics of circularly polarized antennas. The method of moments (MOM) is used to perform a full-wave analysis of the square thin-wire helix mounted on a small conducting box, and its performance is shown to be similar to a standard (circular) helical antenna. In addition, the geometry of the square helical antenna readily allows it to be simulated with a cartesian grid finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code that can also incorporate a model of a human head in the analysis. The effect the head model has on the computed far-field pattern and axial ratio is presented.
Unidirectional cellular durotaxis via microfabricated posts of varying anisotropy

This paper presents unprecedented accomplishments toward unidirectional guidance of cellular migration via durotaxis-based microtopography. In contrast to previous efforts, micropost arrays of varying anisotropy (μPVAs) optimize unidirectional control of cell migration through dual axis durotaxis cues which restrict movement in the lateral direction in addition to promoting migration in the direction of increasing micropost stiffness. Preliminary results show 79% of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) cultured on μPVA substrates migrated within ±60° of the direction of increasing micropost anisotropy. µPVAs offer a simple, yet powerful technique for enabling unidirectional control of cellular migration for a variety of applications in tissue engineering, biomaterials, and medical device implantation.
Crossing the length scale divide to address thermal challenges for sustainable data centers

Data center cooling infrastructure is rapidly evolving along two distinct directions. A burgeoning array of cloud based computing services includes internet searches, e-commerce, package tracking, e-mail, video streaming, and social networking. Additionally, a smaller user base is focused on high performance computing applications, such as weather predictions, financial algorithms and transactions, and numerically intensive scientific and engineering simulations. For each application type, infrastructure within data center enclosures includes rack housed servers, power conditioning equipment, computer room air-conditioning units, and switching and routing equipment. To maintain the lowest capital and operating costs, such facilities are undertaking a number of steps towards energy usage reductions to improve the power usage effectiveness (PUE), defined as: PUE = Total energy consumption/IT energy consumption (1)
Cystic malformations of the neck in children

The most common cystic malformations of the neck are the result of abnormal embryogenesis involving the thyroglossal duct (TGD), lymphatic primordia and the branchial apparatus. When the basic embryology of these structures is considered, a reasonable differential diagnosis-and in some cases a definitive diagnosis-can be achieved based on the location and the imaging characteristics of the cystic mass.
KURT-Linux support for synchronous fine-grain distributed computations

Synchronous fine-grained distribution is an important aspect of an interesting range of applications. Most conventional platforms for supporting computations of this type constrain their performance because of the lack of scheduling integration and coarse timing granularity imposed by the underlying operating system. This paper discusses the use of a real-time and embedded system approach to improve the performance of such distributed computations by explicitly scheduling their components, by providing fine-grain temporal resolution, and by producing and consuming messages among the distributed computation components in a just-in-time manner. In the motivating application for this work, KU real-time (KURT) modifications to the Linux operating system were used to control synchronized distributed components of ATM network simulations. Metrics for evaluating the performance of generic synchronous distributed computations are discussed and results are presented for the KURT-Linux based system.
Health insurance considerations for adolescent transplant recipients as they transition to adulthood

The advent of improved immunosuppression and enhanced allograft outcomes has resulted in a growing number of patients taking expensive immunosuppression medications for the rest of their lives. Healthcare costs for the majority of transplantation procedures in the USA currently are covered by Medicare, but coverage ends for outpatient immunosuppression medications 36-44 months after transplantation. Two or three immunosuppressive agents typically are included in post-transplant regimens with a total annual cost that can exceed 13,000 dollars. This represents a significant financial burden for families no matter if they have adequate health insurance coverage because of co-payment obligations. Evidence suggests that some patients have reduced immunosuppression doses because of an inability to afford their medication, increasing the risk of graft failure. The purpose of this article was to review these and other issues pertaining to medical insurance coverage and transplantation, particularly for adolescent recipients as they transition to adulthood.
More on the axial anomaly in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory☆

The compatibility of the Adler-Bardeen theorem with the supermultiplet containing the axial, trace, and supercurrent anomalies in N = 1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is re-examined (in component form). It is argued that consideration of the off-shell form of the supermultiplet removes the apparent paradox, at least at the two-loop level.
Clinical observations on adoptive immunotherapy with vaccine-primed T-lymphocytes secondarily sensitized to tumor in vitro.

The adoptive immunotherapy of human malignancy requires reliable methods to sensitize and expand patients' T-cells reactive to autologous tumors. In animal studies, we have generated therapeutic effector cells against a poorly immunogenic tumor by a two-step procedure: vaccination of the host followed by the secondary stimulation of vaccine-primed lymph node (LN) cells by in vitro sensitization (IVS) with tumor in the presence of interleukin 2 (IL-2). Based on these observations, we performed a clinical trial in patients with advanced cancer to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of vaccine-primed LN cells which were similarly activated in vitro . Patients were vaccinated with irradiated autologous tumor admixed with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and had draining LN excised 10 days later for IVS culture. During IVS culture, LN cells expanded up to 14-fold (average of 8.4-fold). A mean of 6.7 × 109 cells was infused in ten patients (seven melanoma, three renal cell cancer) along with the concomitant i.v. administration of IL-2 (180,000 IU/kg every 8 h for 5 days). Phenotype analysis of IVS-LN cells revealed 78 ± 4% CD3+ T-cells which were predominantly CD4+ (67 ± 5%) with expression of HLA-DR and IL-2 receptor. IVS-LN cells displayed relative specificity of autologous tumor lysis in four of ten cases compared to zero of seven IVS-peripheral blood lymphocytes derived from the same patients as measured by the 51Cr release assay. One mo after therapy, seven of nine patients treated with IVS-LN cells and IL-2 developed delayed-type hypersensitivity reactivity to autologous tumor compared to zero of nine patients treated with tumor vaccination and IL-2 only ( P < 0.002). These observations suggest that antitumor reactivity was passively transferred with the IVS-LN cells. Major toxic side effects including fever, hepatic dysfunction, and weight gain associated with the capillary leak syndrome were associated with exogenous IL-2 administration. Tumor vaccination and cell transfer were well tolerated without significant complications. Of the ten patients treated with IVS-LN cells and IL-2, there were one partial and one minor response, and one patient has had stable disease for 27+ mo. There was no evidence of tumor response in ten patients treated with tumor vaccination and IL-2 only. Further clinical studies evaluating the antitumor reactivity of vaccine-primed LN cells are warranted.
Dynamic treatment effects

This paper develops robust models for estimating and interpreting treatment effects arising from both ordered and unordered multistage decision problems. Identification is secured through instrumental variables and/or conditional independence (matching) assumptions. We decompose treatment effects into direct effects and continuation values associated with moving to the next stage of a decision problem. Using our framework, we decompose the IV estimator, showing that IV generally does not estimate economically interpretable or policy relevant parameters in prototypical dynamic discrete choice models, unless policy variables are instruments. Continuation values are an empirically important component of estimated total treatment effects of education. We use our analysis to estimate the components of what LATE estimates in a dynamic discrete choice model.
Abstract 15088: Scar Pattern in Chagas Heart Disease

Introduction: Scar in Chagas heart disease (CHD) is thought to be predominantly epicardial and requires epicardial access for ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation. However, little data exists on scar patterns in this population. We evaluated the patterns of scar in patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with delayed enhancement (DE). Methods: 19 patients were enrolled who had evidence of DE by MRI: 4 (21.0%) patients with normal electrocardiogram (ECG) and normal echocardiogram (echo) (group 1); 3 (15.8%) patients with abnormal ECG and normal echo (group 2); and 12 (63.2%) patients with abnormal ECG and echo (group 3). Results: In the 19 patients, there were 110 segments (34.1%) with DE identified using a 17-segment model. Pattern of involvement is as follows: endocardial 30 (27.3%), mid-myocardial 22 (20.0%), epicardial 2 (1.8%) and transmural 56 (50.9%). Most common territories of involvement are as follows (% of patients with segment involved): Basal inferolateral (78.9%), basal anterolateral (68.4%), mid inferolateral (63.2%), mid anterolateral (52.6%), apical lateral (52.6%) and apex (42.1%). The pattern of involvement also varied by group. In group 1, mid-myocardial 7 (50%), endocardial 6 (42.9%), transmural 1 (7.1%). In group 2, mid-myocardial 2 (18.2%), endocardial 6 (54.5%), transmural 3 (27.3%). In group 3, mid-myocardial 13 (15.3%), endocardial 18 (21.2%), transmural 52 (61.2%), epicardial 2 (2.4%). Conclusion: DE tends to occur most commonly in the basal and mid lateral segments. At earlier stages of disease, myocardial scar pattern tends to involve mid-myocardium and endocardium, and progress to transmural in later stages. Isolated epicardial scar was rare in this patient population, which is has potential implications for VT ablation strategies.
Donor lymphocyte infusions for CML: possible effects of age and mobilization.

We read with great interest the article on comparison of single-dose and escalating dose regimens of donor lymphocyte infusions for relapse after allografting for chronic myeloid leukemia.[1][1] The observation that graft-versus-host disease can be minimized by staggering lymphocyte infusions, even
Chapter 18: An Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy Analysis Methodology

This is chapter 18 of Environmental Economics: An Integrated Approach and it provides a compact and readily remembered framework for conducting an interdisciplinary environmental policy analysis.
microRNAs in lipoprotein metabolism and cardiometabolic disorders

Circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) are two of the most important risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide. Recently, miRNAs have emerged as critical regulators of cholesterol metabolism and promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of CVD. A great deal of work has established numerous miRNAs as important regulators of HDL metabolism. This includes miRNAs that target ABCA1, a critical factor for HDL biogenesis and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), the process through which cells, including arterial macrophages, efflux cellular cholesterol for transport to and removal by the liver. The most well studied of these miRNAs, miR-33, has been demonstrated to target ABCA1, as well as numerous other genes involved in metabolic function and RCT, and therapeutic inhibition of miR-33 was found to increase HDL levels in mice and non-human primates. Moreover, numerous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of miR-33 inhibition or knockout on reducing atherosclerotic plaque burden. Even more recent work has identified miRNAs that regulate LDL cholesterol levels, including direct modulation of LDL uptake in the liver through targeting of the LDL receptor. Among these, inhibition of miR-128-1, miR-148a, or miR-185 was found to reduce plasma LDL levels, and inhibition of miR-185 was further demonstrated to reduce atherosclerotic plaque size in ApoE(-/-) mice. Due to their ability to target many different genes, miRNAs have the ability to mediate complex physiologic changes through simultaneous regulation of multiple interrelated pathways. Of particular importance for CVD, inhibition of miR-148a may prove an important therapeutic approach for combating dyslipidemia, as this has been demonstrated to both raise plasma HDL levels and lower LDL levels in mice by targeting both ABCA1 and LDLR, respectively. In this review we highlight recent advances in our understanding of how miRNAs regulate cholesterol metabolism and the development of atherosclerotic plaques and discuss the potential of anti-miRNA therapies for the treatment and prevention of CVD.
Exercise Training Attenuates Upregulation of p47phox and p67phox in Hearts of Diabetic Rats

Exercise training (ExT) is currently being used as a nonpharmacological strategy to improve cardiac function in diabetic patients. However, the molecular mechanism(s) underlying its beneficial effects remains poorly understood. Oxidative stress is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy and one of the enzyme systems that produce reactive oxygen species is NADH/NADPH oxidase. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetes on expression of p47(phox) and p67(phox), key regulatory subunits of NADPH oxidase, in cardiac tissues and determine whether ExT can attenuate these changes. Four weeks after STZ treatment, expression of p47(phox) and p67(phox) increased 2.3-fold and 1.6-fold, respectively, in left ventricles of diabetic rats and these increases were attenuated with three weeks of ExT, initiated 1 week after onset of diabetes. In atrial tissues, there was increased expression of p47(phox) (74%), which was decreased by ExT in diabetic rats. Furthermore, increased collagen III levels in diabetic hearts (52%) were significantly reduced by ExT. Taken together, ExT attenuates the increased expression of p47(phox) and p67(phox) in the hearts of diabetic rats which could be an underlying mechanism for improving intracardiac matrix and thus cardiac function and prevent cardiac remodeling in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Methods for Memorizing Coagulation Interactions

A method for memorizing coagulation enzymatic sequences is presented. The diagrams stress symmetry to simplify memorization. Methods for evaluating coagulation tests, vitamin K-dependentfactors, contact factors, and thrombin-sensitive factors are incorporated into the diagrams.
Identification of a monocyte phagocytic defect in a subpopulation of patients with nephritis

Identification of a monocyte phagocytic defect in a subpopulation of patients with nephritis. Experimental studies have demonstrated the cardinal role played by the mononuclear phagocyte system in the removal of antigen-antibody complexes. To assess the functional capacity of phagocytes in patients with renal disease, 33 normal subjects, 10 patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, 8 patients with membranous nephropathy, and 8 patients with moderately severe chronic renal failure were studied by an in vitro assay, measuring the ability of isolated monocytes to ingest sheep erythrocytes coated with IgG antibody and to phagocytize latex beads. Monocytes from four patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis and one patient with membranous nephropathy exhibited a subnormal capacity to ingest the antibody-coated erythrocytes. Additionally, monocytes from two of the four patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis and a defect in ingesting sensitized erythrocytes had a subnormal capacity to phagocytize latex beads. The results are interpreted in the context of a hypothesis which suggests that patients with immune nephritis show various forms of immune deficit. Identification d'un defaut de phagocytose monocytaire dans une souspopulation de malades avec nephrite. Des etudes experimentales ont demontre le role capital joue par le systeme phagocytaire mononucleaire dans l'elimination des complexes antigenes-anticorps. Afin d'evaluer la capacite fonctionnelle des phagocytes chez des malades ayant une maladie renale, 33 sujets normaux, 10 malades avec une glomerulonephrite mesangiale proliferative, 8 malades avec une nephropathie extra-membraneuse, et 8 malades avec une insuffisance renale chronique de severite moyenne ont ete etudies avec un dosage in vitro, mesurant la capacite de monocytes isoles d'ingerer des erythrocytes de mouton recouverts d'anticorps IgG et de phagocyter des billes de latex. Les monocytes de quatre malades ayant une glomerulonephrite mesangiale proliferative et d'un malade ayant une nephropathie extra-membraneuse avaient une capacite insuffisante d'ingerer les erythrocytes recouverts d'anticorps. De plus, les monocytes de deux des quatre malades ayant une glomerulonephrite mesangiale proliferative et un defaut dans l'ingestion des erythrocytes sensibilises avaient une capacite insuffisante de phagocyter des billes de latex. Ces resultats sont interpretes dans le contexte de l'hypothese suggerant que les malades ayant une nephrite immune ont diverses formes de deficits immunitaires.