cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiac physiology, biochemistry and morphology in response to excess growth hormone in the rat

The cardiac effects of excess growth hormone (GH) were studied in the intact adult rat and in tissues prepared from the rat. Female Wistar-Furth rats were inoculated with a clonal cell line of pituitary cells which secrete GH. Five weeks later, heart weight had increased 37% compared to control (P < 0.01) due to concomitant increases in left and right ventricular weight. Hemodynamic measurements in the anesthetized rat showed that GH stimulated rats had a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate and a small increase of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (P < 0.05). Measurement of left ventricular contractility and relaxation, and response to β-adrenergic stimulation were decreased in GH compared to control (P < 0.05). Contractile protein biochemistry showed an 18% reduction in Ca2+-myosin ATPase activity of the left ventricle (P < 0.05) and non-denaturing pyrophosphate gels of purified myosin demonstrated a significant shift of isoforms from the exclusive V1 pattern to both V1 and V3 isomyosins in both ventricles (P < 0.05). In contrast to the physiological and protein biochemistry adaptations, left ventricular morphology by light microscopy and ultrastructure by electron microscopy were normal in the GH stimulated heart. There were no significant changes in myofibril fraction, in the myofibril to mitochondria ratio or in the capillary numerical density of the hypertrophied left ventricle (P = n.s.). This study demonstrates that under prolonged and extreme stimulation by GH, the heart undergoes considerable growth/hypertrophy. although cardiac morphology remains normal during this growth, there are alterations of the isomyosins such that ATPase activity is diminished and ventricular function is decreased.
A liposome-based nanostructure for aptamer directed delivery

A therapeutic aptamer conjugated liposome drug delivery system which delivered loaded drug to target cells with high specificity and excellent efficiency was prepared and characterized.
An open-source SATA core for Virtex-4 FPGAs

In this demonstration, we present an open-source Serial ATA core designed for Virtex-4 FPGAs. This core utilizes the RocketIO Multi-Gigabit Transceiver (MGT) of the Virtex-4 to interface with hard drives at SATA Generation 1 (SATA I, 1.5 Gb/s) and Generation 2 (SATA II, 3.0 Gb/s) speeds. A full design hierarchy from host software to the physical layer is provided with the distribution to facilitate design use. A simple, FIFO interface allows for easy integration with other FPGA modules. The demonstration illustrates the correct write and read behavior of the core using a Xilinx ML405 board and a solid state disk. The peak transfer rate of the core for SATA I (130 MB/s) is demonstrated. Our goal for the demonstration is to educate the reconfigurable computing community regarding the availability of the core and to illustrate its capabilities.
Biocompatible Electromechanical Actuators Composed of Silk‐Conducting Polymer Composites

Single-component, metal-free, biocompatible, electromechanical actuator devices are fabricated using a composite material composed of silk fibroin and poly(pyrrole) (PPy). Chemical modification techniques are developed to produce free-standing films with a bilayer-type structure, with unmodified silk on one side and an interpenetrating network (IPN) of silk and PPy on the other. The IPN formed between the silk and PPy prohibits delamination, resulting in a durable and fully biocompatible device. The electrochemical stability of these materials is investigated through cyclic voltammetry, and redox sensitivity to the presence of different anions is noted. Free-end bending actuation performance and force generation within silk-PPy composite films during oxidation and reduction in a biologically relevant environment are investigated in detail. These silk–PPy composites are stable to repeated actuation, and are able to generate forces comparable with natural muscle (>0.1 MPa), making them ideal candidates for interfacing with biological tissues.
Copper-silicon interaction studies in young, rapidly growing turkeys fed semipurified starter diets.

A 3 × 3 factorial experiment was conducted to study the interactions between Cu and Si in growing turkeys fed a basal dextrosecasein semipurified diet supplemented at 0, 270, and 540 ppm Si, and 2, 8, and 75 ppm Cu levels of inclusion. There were no significant (p>0.05) Cu, Si, or Cu-Si interaction effects on turkey growth. However, there were significant (p 0.05) by Cu, Si, or Cu−Si interaction. Heart and liver weights were affected (p 0.05) concentrations of Cu in the heart and liver tissues. It is postulated that the Cu-Si interactions demonstrated in this study could have profound implications on the cardiovascular and skeletal health of birds.
Surgical management of trabecular ventricular septal defects: The sandwich technique

Abstract Background: Surgical closure of trabecular ventricular septal defects is difficult and often unsuccessful. Objective: We performed closure of trabecular ventricular septal defects by sandwiching the septum between 2 polyester felt patches placed in the left ventricle and right ventricle without ventriculotomy. Methods: Eleven patients (7 boys and 4 girls) underwent a sandwiching closure at a mean age of 4.7 years (range, 0.4-9.7 years) and a mean weight of 16.7 kg (range, 4.6-52 kg). Associated cardiac malformations were present in 9 of the 11 patients. Seven patients had undergone previous operations. The trabecular ventricular septal defects are exposed through the tricuspid valve and also from the left ventricular side through a coexisting large perimembranous ventricular septal defect or through the mitral valve through an interatrial septostomy. Two forceps, one each from the right and left ventricular side, lead a 3F Nelaton catheter through the trabecular defect. An oversized circular polyester felt patch mounted on a 3-0 Nespolen suture attached to the Nelaton catheter is then passed into the left ventricle. The suture ends are then passed through a slightly smaller polyester felt patch on the right ventricular side of the septum. The Nespolen suture is then tied, thereby sandwiching the septum between the 2 patches. Results: Time required for the procedure was less than 20 minutes in each case. There were no hospital deaths, and the postoperative course was uneventful in all patients. There was no residual shunt in 3 patients, and a minimal residual shunt was observed in 5 patients. Mild residual shunt was observed in 3 patients. Cardiac catheterization was performed 1 month postoperatively in 8 patients in whom residual shunt was noted on echocardiography. Five of 8 patients had a minimal residual shunt (pulmonary blood flow/systemic blood flow ratio=1.0). Three patients had a residual shunt (pulmonary blood flow/systemic blood flow ratio=2.0, 1.6, and 1.2). The patient with a pulmonary blood flow/systemic blood flow ratio of 2.0 had a "Swiss cheese" ventricular septal defect, and a residual shunt remained around the patch. However, the residual shunt decreased to a pulmonary blood flow/systemic blood flow ratio of 1.6 at examination 16 months postoperatively. Echocardiography showed that the residual shunt had also decreased in another 2 patients. Conclusions: We conclude that the sandwich technique is safe and easy. Even in cases with a residual shunt present, the shunt is expected to decrease as time passes. Further experience and longer follow-up of these patients are necessary to conclude whether this technique is applicable to neonates and young infants. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;125:508-12
Administration of GABAB receptor positive allosteric modulators inhibit the expression of previously established methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference

Little is known about the role of GABAB receptors (GABABRs) in the maintenance of memories associated with using abused substances. We have embarked on a series of studies designed to determine if enhancing the efficacy of GABA-occupied GABABRs with positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) can negate previously established conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by methamphetamine. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of acute administration of GABABR PAMs, GS39783 and CGP7930. We determined that post-conditioning treatments with these PAMs, administered in the home cage, blocked the subsequent expression of methamphetamine-induced CPP. These data indicate that selectively augmenting GABA-occupied GABABR signaling is sufficient to reduce memory maintenance and/or the salience of contextual cues previously associated with methamphetamine.
Testing purchasing power parity and the Dornbusch overshooting model with vector autoregression

Abstract Using the vector autoregression model estimated with U.S. and Japanese macroeconomic variables, the mechanism of long-run mean reversion of real exchange rates is studied. Producer prices respond partially to the exchange rate, while consumer prices show little response to the exchange rate. Mean reversion occurs mainly because of the cyclical movement of the nominal exchange rate. Many implications of the Dornbusch overshooting model are consistent with the data. However, uncovered interest parity performs badly when the forecast horizon is longer than a few quarters.
Gastrointestinal peptides and cancer

Abstract The term gastrointestinal peptide is usually used to refer to a group of peptides with relatively low molecular weight (generally
The impact of war and terrorism on sovereign risk in the Middle East

The prolonged war in Iraq, the political turmoil in Lebanon, the heightened tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the spectre of an attack on Iran have significantly increased business uncertainty in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Sovereign risk — the credit risk assessment to the obligations of central governments — is believed to have increased. In response, credit rating agencies like Moody's and Standard and Poor's have revised their ratings or placed specific countries on their watch lists, a move that normally precedes a credit rating change. Using data from Morgan Stanley and Euromoney, we propose to quantify and explain the variability of sovereign risk in five MENA countries and two control countries between 2002 and 2006 using a set of dates in which a tragic event has taken place. Our methodology will allow us to test the extent to which the heightened political tension in the Middle East has altered the risk profiles of these countries and to challenge the assumptions made by rating agencies.
Functional obstruction: the renal pelvis rules

Failure in the peristaltic mechanism that conducts urine from the kidney to the bladder can lead to hydronephrosis, a common birth defect associated with obstructive nephropathy. New animal models reveal molecular pathways important for peristalsis and point to the central role of the renal pelvis in urine transport.
Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over Ru-group Ib/SiO2 catalysts

Abstract Reaction studies probing the catalytic activity and selectivity of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction have been performed for a series of chlorine-free, silica-supported Ru-group Ib (Ag, Au, Cu) bimetallic catalysts. The goal of this work was to isolate ensemble effects, electronic effects, or the influence of the metal particle structure on catalytic behavior. The rate per surface ruthenium atom, or turnover frequency, was used to correlate catalytic activity with surface composition. Surface compositions were determined previously via nuclear magnetic resonance of chemisorbed hydrogen and strong hydrogen chemisorption experiments. The turnover frequencies for the series of RuCu catalysts declined by a factor of about two when the relative copper composition increased from 0% to 10% (at constant ruthenium loading). Increasing the copper loading beyond this level did not affect the turnover frequency. Similar behavior was noted for the RuAg catalysts where the turnover frequency declined until a silver loading of about 25% was obtained. Increased silver content did not further change the turnover frequency. The drop in turnover frequency with relatively small amounts of copper or silver is attributed to a structure sensitivity effect. As the segregating element (lb) preferentially goes to the low-coordination, defect-like sites, the observed turnover frequency declines. Once all low-coordination sites are filled, no variation in turnover frequency with composition was observed, indicating a lack of ensemble effects. This result contrasts with previously reported investigations of the RuCu system. The overall rate changed modestly and the turnover frequency did not change significantly with composition over the series of RuAu catalysts. The product distribution shifted to smaller molecules with increasing copper content in the RuCu series but remained constant over the entire composition range for the RuAg and RuAu catalysts. The ability of hydrogen to exchange between copper and ruthenium sites was correlated with enhanced chain termination rates.
Condensed-matter physics: Bringing the noise.

Noise is usually viewed as the bane of measurements. But a neat experiment has confirmed a long-standing prediction for an exotic electronic state of matter through the increase of noise in charge transmission.
Trace elements in reactor steels: implications for decommissioning

Abstract Trace elements in stainless steel have been systematically examined for the production of long-lived radioisotopes through neutron activation in reactors. Niobium-94 has been identified as the most important impurity. It is a long-lived ( τ 1 2 = 20 000 yr) gamma ray emitter (0.7 and 0.87 MeV), which is produced by the neutron capture reaction 93Nb(n, γ)94Nb. Through X-ray fluorescence Nb concentrations of 160 ± 20 ppm have been found in type 304 stainless steel which agrees with earlier published values. At this concentration, the gamma radiation dose rate inside the pressure vessel of a reactor would remain close to 1 rem/hr for thousands of years after the 60Co activity has decayed. This could be important for the delayed dismantling option considered for reactors. Nitrogen as an impurity in stainless steel has been shown to result in the buildup of 100 and 1000 Ci of carbon-14 over the lifetime of a BWR and a PWR, respectively. Although 14C is only a β−-emitter, its long half-life (5730 yr) and the crucial role of carbon in the biosphere may be important in deciding on the ultimate disposal method of the radioactive reactor components.
ANSERINE, A SOURCE OF 1-METHYLHISTIDINE IN URINE OF MAN.

SummaryChicken fed to men and women resulted in significant increases in the amount of 1-methylhistidine excreted in the urine. The source of the 1-methylhistidine is the anserine (beta-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine) contained in chicken muscle.
Deuterium isotope effect on the metabolism of N-nitrosodimethylamine and related compounds by cytochrome P4502E1.

1. Deuteration of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) decreases its carcinogenicity, and produces an isotope effect on its metabolism in vivo. Consistent with these results are the observations that deuteration caused a 5-fold increase in the apparent Km, but not the Vmax the demethylation and denitrozation of NDMA in acetone-induced rat liver microsomes. These microsomes are a good source of cytochrome P4502E1.2. For demethylation of Z-[2H3]NDMA and E-[2H3)NDMA, the Km values were indistinguishable, and were between the values for those of NDMA and [2H6]NDMA. Almost all the formaldehyde formed was derived from the non-deuterated methyl group. indicating a lack of stereoselectivity in the demethylation of NDMA.3. NDMA and [2H6]NDMA displayed apparent Ki values of 59 and 441 μM, respectively, for N-nitrosodiethylamine deethylase, showing an apparent isotope effect of 0.13, and displayed an isotope effect of 0.21 in the Ki values for p-nitrophenol hydroxylase.4. With acetone and deuterated acetone as inhibitors f...
A uniplanar picosecond impulse generator based on MESFET and SRD

A new compact, low-cost uniplanar impulse generator using coplanar waveguide structure has been designed, built, and tested. This uniplanar circuit consists of three functions: initial impulse generation, impulse amplification, and impulse compression, which are realized by a step-recovery diode and two-stage GaAs MESFET circuits, respectively. The impulse response has an amplitude of 2.3 V and a half-power pulse width of 115 pS. It has larger amplitude and narrower pulse width than the impulse generated by the SRD circuit alone. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 470–472, 2003
Functional Reconstruction of a Combined Tendocutaneous Defect of the Achilles Using a Segmental Rectus Femoris Myofascial Construct: A Viable Alternative

The composite anterolateral thigh flap with vascularized fascia lata has emerged as a workhorse at our institution for complex Achilles defects requiring both tendon and soft tissue reconstruction. Safe elevation of this flap, however, is occasionally challenged by absent or inadequate perforators supplying the anterolateral thigh. When discovered intraoperatively, alternative options derived from the same vascular network can be pursued. We present the case of a 74-year-old male who underwent composite Achilles defect reconstruction using a segmental rectus femoris myofascial free flap. Following graduated rehabilitation, postoperatively, the patient resumed full activity and was able to ambulate on his tip-toes. At 1-year follow-up, active total range of motion of the reconstructed ankle exceeded 85% of the unaffected side, and donor site morbidity was negligible. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and Short Form-36 scores improved by 78.8% and 28.8%, respectively, compared to preoperative baseline assessments. Based on our findings, we advocate for use of the combined rectus femoris myofascial free flap as a rescue option for reconstructing composite Achilles tendon/posterior leg defects in the setting of inadequate anterolateral thigh perforators. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe use of this flap for such an indication.
To Go Against Nature: Manipulating the Neonatal Ductus Arteriosus with Prostaglandin

Abstract First observed by two gynecologists, Kurzrok and Lieb, a substance found in semen was named prostaglandin by VonEuler of the Karolinska Institute, with the assumption that it was produced by the prostate gland ( Clin Perinatol . 1995;22:457–477). Endogenous prostaglandins PGE 2 and prostaglandin I 2 are produced within the ductus arteriosus lumen during gestation to keep the ductus patent ( Semin Perinatol . 1987;11:64–71). Practitioners can prolong the patency of the ductus arteriosus in neonates with ductal-dependent congenital heart defects through the use of injectable prostaglandin. In 1981, the Food and Drug Administration approved Alprostadil, injectable prostaglandin E 1 , for use in the treatment of neonates with congenital heart disease ( Drug Intell Clin Pharm . 1982;16:823–832). This article will review the role of prostaglandin in intrauterine and extrauterine life, as well as the pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and nursing implications associated with prostaglandin E 1 use.
Insulin regulates transcription of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) alpha, beta, and delta genes in fully-differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The effect of insulin on expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) alpha, beta, and delta was investigated in fully-differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Treatment of adipocytes with insulin stimulated rapid dephosphorylation of C/EBP alpha, and repressed the expression of C/EBP alpha within 2-4 h, with > 90% suppression occurring at 24 h. While insulin induced expression of C/EBP beta and C/EBP delta within 1 h and caused a > 20-fold increase by 4 h, expression returned to nearly pretreatment levels by 24 h. The insulin concentration dependence of these effects was consistent with involvement of the insulin receptor. Gel shift analysis revealed that 6 h of insulin treatment decreased the binding of nuclear C/EBP alpha while increasing binding of nuclear C/EBP beta and C/EBP delta. The reciprocal effects of insulin on the steady-state levels of C/EBP transcription factors can be accounted for kinetically and quantitatively by changes in their mRNA levels, which can be accounted for by effects on gene transcription. The effects of insulin on adipocyte gene transcription (e.g. GLUT4) may be mediated, at least in part, by down-regulation of C/EBP alpha and/or its dephosphorylation.
Mechanism for membrane electroporation irreversibility under high-intensity, ultrashort electrical pulse conditions.

An improved electroporation model is used to address membrane irreversibility under ultrashort electric pulse conditions. It is shown that membranes can survive a strong electric pulse and recover provided the pore distribution has a relatively large spread. If, however, the population consists predominantly of larger radii pores, then irreversibility can result. Physically, such a distribution could arise if pores at adjacent sites coalesce. The requirement of close proximity among the pore sites is more easily satisfied in smaller organelles than in outer cell membranes. Model predictions are in keeping with recent observations of cell damage to intracellular organelles (e.g., mitochondria), without irreversible shock at the outer membranes, by a nanosecond, high-intensity electric pulse. This mechanism also explains the greater damage from multiple electric shocks.
Antigen retrieval to improve the immunocytochemistry detection of sigma-1 receptors and ER chaperones.

Molecular chaperones localized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen constitutively or cellular stress-dependently associate with a variety of proteins to promote their proper folding or to inhibit protein misfolding. ER chaperones preferentially form large complexes with co-chaperones and/or misfolded proteins in a highly crowded cellular environment that often hampers their detection by immunocytochemistry (ICC). This study establishes an antigen retrieval (AR) protocol to improve the ICC detection of ER chaperones in cultured cells using widely available antibodies against synthetic peptides. Among ten different antigen retrieval/fixation conditions, only the AR with Tris–HCl (pH 9.5) containing 6 M urea (80°C for 10 min) significantly improved the ICC detection of the novel ER chaperone sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Extended fixation with 4% paraformaldehyde for 1 h effectively preserved the morphology of the ER under the AR condition. This method greatly enhanced the signal-to-noise ratio in Sig-1R ICC, thus allowing for semi-quantitative detection of protein upregulation under ER stress. The AR similarly improved the ICC detection of a series of other major ER chaperones, including BiP/GRP78, GRP94, calnexin, calreticulin, ERp57, protein disulfide isomerase, and cyclophilin B. The improved ICC methodology using the urea AR at 80°C may improve ICC of ER molecules as well as visualization of ER structure and substructures.
Particle deposition model for particulate flows at high temperatures in gas turbine components

Abstract This study proposes an improved physical model to predict sand deposition at high temperature in gas turbine components. This model differs from its predecessor (Sreedharan and Tafti, 2011) by improving the sticking probability by accounting for the energy losses during particle-wall collision based on our previous work (Singh and Tafti, 2013). This model predicts the probability of sticking based on the critical viscosity approach and collision losses during a particle–wall collision. The current model is novel in the sense that it predicts the sticking probability based on the impact velocity along with the particle temperature. To test the model, deposition from a sand particle laden jet impacting on a flat coupon geometry is computed and the results obtained from the numerical model are compared with experiments (Delimont et al., 2014) conducted at Virginia Tech, on a similar geometry and flow conditions, for jet temperatures of 950 °C, 1000 °C and 1050 °C. Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are used to model the flow field and heat transfer, and sand particles are modeled using a discrete Lagrangian framework. Results quantify the impingement and deposition for 20–40 μm sand particles. The stagnation region of the target coupon is found to experience most of the impingement and deposition. For 950 °C jet temperature, around 5% of the particle impacting the coupon deposit while the deposition for 1000 °C and 1050 °C is 17% and 28%, respectively. In general, the sticking efficiencies calculated from the model show good agreement with the experiments for the temperature range considered.
Chemotaxonomic significance of hydroxylated pipecolic acids in Central American Inga (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae: Ingeae)

Hydroxylated pipecolic acid derivatives of 47 species of Inga were analyzed primarily from herbarium leaf samples supplemented by field collections. Inga species are noted for their morphological variability, which has resulted in considerable taxonomic confusion. Pipecolic acid chemistry appears to be a relatively stable character within species, and the large number of pipecolic acid derivatives translates to greater intraspecific diversity in chemical patterns (18 distinct hydroxypipecolic acid patterns) than previously found in related genera. This chemical diversity makes pipecolic acids particularly useful in solving taxonomic problems in this genus; problems such as identification of distinct species with convergent morphology and identification of mislabeled herbarium specimens. Chemistry provides data independent of morphology with which to assess recent changes in nomenclature (some of which are supported, others not) and may also be useful in the assessment of hybridization and in delimitation of proper species boundaries. At present our chemical knowledge is too fragmentary to allow strong statements regarding relationships above the species level, but there is a trend for taxa traditionally grouped on morphological criteria to share similar chemistries.
Rigorous electromagnetic simulation applied to alignment systems

Rigorous electromagnetic simulation with TEMPEST is used to provide benchmark data and understanding of key parameters in the design of topographical features of alignment marks. Periodic large silicon trenches are analyzed as a function of wavelength (530-800 nm), duty cycle, depth, slope and angle of incidence. The signals are well behaved except when the trench width becomes about 1 micrometers or smaller. Segmentation of the trenches to form 3D marks shows that a segmentation period of 2-5 wavelengths makes the diffraction in the (1,1) direction about 1/3 to 1/2 of that in the main first order (1,0). Transmission alignment marks nanoimprint lithography using the difference between the +1 and -1 reflected orders showed a sensitivity of the difference signal to misalignment of 0.7%/nm for rigorous simulation and 0.5%/nm for simple ray-tracing. The sensitivity to a slanted substrate indentation was 10 nm off-set per degree of tilt from horizontal.
Shock induced formation of MgAl2O4 spinel from oxides

The physics of mineral grain sliding, which occurs upon dynamic compression of rocks, is investigated by shock loading single crystals of corundum (Al_2O_3) and periclase (MgO) in contact obliquely in impact experiments. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction studies of samples recovered from 26–36 GPa, 800 ns experiments indicated that under certain conditions a spinel phase of composition MgAl_2O_4 and thickness ≤20 µm was produced at the interface between the two crystals. Although the computed shock (continuum) temperatures were below those necessary to melt the initial oxides, the spinel nonetheless appears to have formed as a result of localised melting, via grain boundary sliding friction, followed by rapid quenching. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed some evidence for such melting. Moreover, the timescale of the experiments is too short for solid state diffusion (during the shock state) to explain the observed spinel thickness, although defect enhanced solid state diffusion, subsequent to loading and unloading, remains a possibility. The results also reinforce other recent observations and theories of heterogeneous deformation in minerals.
Stent Graft for Nephrologists: Concerns and Consensus

The role of the stent graft is emerging in the management of arteriovenous dialysis access. Physicians are incorporating this device in the management of three distinct problems—vein-graft anastomotic stenosis, pseudoaneurysm formation, and cephalic arch stenosis—with varying degrees of success. Indeed, a recent randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the role of angioplasty plus stent graft versus angioplasty alone for the management of stenosis at the vein-graft anastomosis led to the approval of the stent graft by the Food and Drug Administration; however, several elements of the management of stenosis at the vein-graft anastomosis/cephalic arch as well as the repair of pseudoaneurysms by stent graft remain controversial. The situation is further complicated and warrants a cost-to-benefit ratio analysis when the added cost of the device is appended to the procedure. In contrast to the controversies, angioplasty-induced complete vascular rupture is one situation in which a stent graft is indicated beyond any doubt. With recent conditional Food and Drug Administration approval, it is anticipated that the use of stent grafts might increase in our patients. In this context, it is critically important that nephrologists be familiar with the current controversies and consensus that surround the use of stent grafts for dialysis access. Just as therapeutic interventions are analyzed in other disciplines within nephrology, these experts must appraise the use of this device for dialysis access. This report presents an up-to-date synopsis on the use of the stent graft that would assist renal physicians in requesting or rejecting the device for the optimal management of their patient’s vascular access dysfunction. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 5: 1347–1352, 2010. doi: 10.2215/CJN.02380310
Evidence of Safety and Effectiveness for a Drug-Eluting Stent How Should We Respond This Time?

Drug-eluting stents (DES) were introduced to the coronary artery disease treatment market in 2003 with much exuberance and fanfare. With >70% reduction in restenosis and no apparent safety concerns in 1-year reports from large randomized clinical trials,1,2 the opportunity for expansion of the technology seemed limitless. Interventional cardiologists responded with confidence and quickly expanded use to a wide array of off-label indications, limited only by initial inventory constraints.3,4 Some even considered DES as a potential therapy for vulnerable lesions or regions that were not yet hemodynamically significant, and there were concerns by hospitals and others that widespread use of these devices for treatment of traditional surgical disease would place cardiac surgery programs in jeopardy.5,6 The realization of an increased risk of late and very late stent thrombosis with the first-generation DES, especially in patients with increased lesion complexity, dampened this enthusiasm.7,8 Article see p 1110 In the years since we have also learned that many patients with symptoms and angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease do as well on medical therapy alone as with stenting, or perhaps even worse with stenting if hemodynamic significance of a coronary lesion is not confirmed.9,10 Furthermore, among most patients with 3-vessel coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass surgery has demonstrated clear benefit in comparison with the first-generation paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES).11 Within this context, the use of DES has equilibrated to ≈70% of stent procedures, appropriate-use criteria are widely discussed, and cardiac surgery and surgeons have survived. Meanwhile, new generations of DES have been developed and approved for use with modification of the design flaws that were implicated as factors in the delayed healing and ongoing risk of thrombosis with the first-generation devices. These improvements include polymers that are …
Social Network and Genre Emergence in Amateur Flash Multimedia

Research on digital media tends to characterize the emergence of new genres without reference to social networks, even though "community" and "social interaction" are invoked. In this paper, we examine Flash animations posted to newgrounds.com, a major Web portal for amateur Flash, from a social network perspective. Results indicate that participants' social network positions are strongly associated with the genres of Flash they produce. We argue from these findings that the social networks of Flash authors contribute to the establishment of genre norms, and that a social network approach can be crucial to understanding genre emergence
Bronchial mucous gland adenoma revealed following acute pneumonia

A 54-year old male, current smoker, was admitted to the emergency unit with lingular pneumonia. The follow-up chest CT and bronchoscopy showed an airway-blocking intrabronchial tumour. After surgical resection, pathological examination established the diagnosis of a bronchial mucous gland adenoma. The bronchial mucous gland adenoma is an extremely rare and benign lung tumour. It is composed of mucus-containing acini lined with cuboidal cells without pleomorphism. Total surgical resection is usually required for complete diagnosis and treatment. The main differential diagnoses are a low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and a mucinous cystadenoma of the lung. This case highlights the importance of a complete lung workup after acute pneumonia in patients with a history of smoking, including the CT scan and bronchoscopy.
Postmarketing Safety Surveillance for Typhoid Fever Vaccines from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, July 1990 through June 2002

Vaccines against Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi are used for prophylaxis of international travelers and have potential use as counterbioterrorism agents. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) cannot usually establish causal relationships between vaccines and reported adverse events without further research but has successfully detected unrecognized side effects of vaccine. We reviewed reports to VAERS for US-licensed typhoid fever vaccines for the period of July 1990 through June 2002. We received 321 reports for parenteral Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine and 345 reports for live, oral, attenuated Ty21a vaccine, with 7.5% and 5.5%, respectively, describing death, hospitalization, permanent disability, or life-threatening illness. Unexpected frequently reported symptoms included dizziness and pruritus for Vi vaccine and fatigue and myalgia for Ty21a vaccine. Gastroenteritis-like illness after receipt of Ty21a vaccine and abdominal pain after receipt of Vi vaccine, which are previously recognized events, occasionally required hospitalization. Nonfatal anaphylaxis was reported after both vaccines. VAERS reports do not indicate any unexpected serious side effects that compromise these vaccines' use for travelers' prophylaxis.
Empty arrays in extended APL

During the past several years considerable work has been done on extending APL in three areas: operators, heterogeneous data, and nested data. In each area a proposed extension must treat empty arrays consistently. In this paper various possibilities for providing consistent behavior are presented. The new proposals possess at least one of two important qualities in which older proposals tend to be deficient: consistent behavior is independent of the structural properties of rank and nesting, and the user has control over the behavior when he wants it.
Grouping in object recognition: the role of a Gestalt law in letter identification.

The Gestalt psychologists reported a set of laws describing how vision groups elements to recognize objects. The Gestalt laws “prescribe for us what we are to recognize ‘as one thing’” (Kohler, 1920). Were they right? Does object recognition involve grouping? Tests of the laws of grouping have been favourable, but mostly assessed only detection, not identification, of the compound object. The grouping of elements seen in the detection experiments with lattices and “snakes in the grass” is compelling, but falls far short of the vivid everyday experience of recognizing a familiar, meaningful, named thing, which mediates the ordinary identification of an object. Thus, after nearly a century, there is hardly any evidence that grouping plays a role in ordinary object recognition. To assess grouping in object recognition, we made letters out of grating patches and measured threshold contrast for identifying these letters in visual noise as a function of perturbation of grating orientation, phase, and offset. We...
Detection of repolarization alternans with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator lead in a porcine model

Mechanistic links have been suggested between repolarization alternans (RPA) and the onset of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or fibrillation. Endocardial detection of RPA may, therefore, be an important step in future device-based treatments of arrhythmias. Here, we investigate if RPA could be detected during acute ischemia using an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) lead (tip to distal coil) located in the right ventricular apex. In 18 pigs, the right coronary (n=10) or left anterior descending coronary (n=8) artery was occluded for 10 min using a balloon catheter, followed by reperfusion for 30 min, and re-occlusion for 30 min. RPA magnitude, computed using the modified moving average (MMA) method, showed a sharp increase in all 18 animals, from a mean baseline level of 1.9/spl plusmn/1.3 mV to 3.0/spl plusmn/1.3 mV during first occlusion (p<0.001). RPA magnitude showed a prominent increase in 10 animals during re-occlusion, from a mean baseline level of 1.7/spl plusmn/1.0 mV to 3.3/spl plusmn/1.5 mV (p<0.001). The protocol was terminated during the first two stages of occlusion and reperfusion for the remaining 8 animals due to the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation (VF). These results confirm that RPA increases under ischemic conditions and that it is possible to detect and track RPA dynamics with an ICD lead that is positioned in a clinically realistic location. Such an approach may be useful in formulating improved arrhythmia detection and control algorithms.
Embedded Options and Tax Decisions: A Reconsideration of the Traditional vs. Roth IRA Decision

Embedded options arise in many tax‐related decisions because of the ability to subsequently alter one's choices in response to changing conditions. This article analyzes one type of embedded option that is especially amenable to being modeled and that is of widespread interest: the decision to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA, where the embedded option arises from the opportunity to subsequently roll over a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. The results show that the alternative with which the embedded option is associated (i.e., a traditional IRA contribution) might be incorrectly rejected when the option is ignored.
MEASUREMENT OF THE EXCRETION OF CORTISONE AND COMPOUND F, USING THE PORTER-SILBER METHOD

THE excretion in the urine of adrenal cortical steroids and their metabolites has served as an index of adrenal cortical activity. Of the many biologic and chemical methods applied to the measurement of corticoid excretion, the recent one of Porter and Silber (1) appeared to us to possess the advantages of simplicity of performance and of specificity for certain 17-hydroxycorticoids. Both cortisone and compound F are included in the 17,21-dihydroxy-20-ketosteroid group of compounds measured by this technique. A study of urinary excretion of steroids of patients receiving cortisone, compound F, and corticotropin forms the basis of this report. In our hands the Porter-Silber method was not reliable in measuring steroid concentrations in plasma or feces. METHOD The original Porter-Silber method of measuring steroids was modified slightly to permit analysis of several specimens simultaneously. Urine was collected over a measured period of time, with a small amount of chloroform added as a preservative. The sp...
Workshop - feminist engineering education: Building a community of practice

As a result of a series of papers and special sessions held at FIE between 2004 and 2008, a community of CSET educators interested in exploring feminist pedagogies has formed at FIE. Past participants in these sessions have expressed a desire to learn more about what makes a set of pedagogies “feminist.” At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of research papers at FIE that draw on feminist research methods or topics. This workshop is designed to meet the needs of members of the FIE community who have some experience with feminist pedagogies or research methods, and who are looking to develop intellectual relationships with others also working in engineering educational research. We will discuss the history of feminist education and feminist research methods in the US, including a connection to science and engineering education; participants will then work in small groups focusing on a sub-topic (feminist pedagogies, feminist research methods, and feminist research topics/content). We invite participants to bring part of a project (such as a syllabus or course plan, assignment, class or research project, research question or protocol) to this workshop; some time will be dedicated to the guided design/redesign of this project.
Functional–Anatomic Study of Episodic Retrieval Using fMRI: I. Retrieval Effort versus Retrieval Success

A number of recent functional imaging studies have identified brain areas activated during tasks involving episodic memory retrieval. The identification of such areas provides a foundation for targeted hypotheses regarding the more specific contributions that these areas make to episodic retrieval. As a beginning effort toward such an endeavor, whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine 14 subjects during episodic word recognition in a block-designed fMRI experiment. Study conditions were manipulated by presenting either shallow or deep encoding tasks. This manipulation yielded two recognition conditions that differed with regard to retrieval effort and retrieval success: shallow encoding yielded low levels of recognition success with high levels of retrieval effort, and deep encoding yielded high levels of recognition success with low levels of effort. Many brain areas were activated in common by these two recognition conditions compared to a lowlevel fixation condition, including left and right prefrontal regions often detected during PET episodic retrieval paradigms (e.g., R. L. Buckner et al., 1996, J. Neurosci. 16, 6219‐6235) thereby generalizing these findings to fMRI. Characterization of the activated regions in relation to the separate recognition conditions showed (1) bilateral anterior insular regions and a left dorsal prefrontal region were more active after shallow encoding, when retrieval demanded greatest effort, and (2) right anterior prefrontal cortex, which has been implicated in episodic retrieval, was most active during successful retrieval after deep encoding. We discuss these findings in relation to component processes involved in episodic retrieval and in the context of a companion study using event-related fMRI. r 1998 Academic Press
Learning to Locate Informative Features for Visual Identification

Object identification is a specialized type of recognition in which the category (e.g. cars) is known and the goal is to recognize an object's exact identity (e.g. Bob's BMW). Two special challenges characterize object identification. First, inter-object variation is often small (many cars look alike) and may be dwarfed by illumination or pose changes. Second, there may be many different instances of the category but few or just one positive "training" examples per object instance. Because variation among object instances may be small, a solution must locate possibly subtle object-specific salient features, like a door handle, while avoiding distracting ones such as specular highlights. With just one training example per object instance, however, standard modeling and feature selection techniques cannot be used. We describe an on-line algorithm that takes one image from a known category and builds an efficient "same" versus "different" classification cascade by predicting the most discriminative features for that object instance. Our method not only estimates the saliency and scoring function for each candidate feature, but also models the dependency between features, building an ordered sequence of discriminative features specific to the given image. Learned stopping thresholds make the identifier very efficient. To make this possible, category-specific characteristics are learned automatically in an off-line training procedure from labeled image pairs of the category. Our method, using the same algorithm for both cars and faces, outperforms a wide variety of other methods.
Calculating trends from GRACE in the presence of large changes in continental ice storage and ocean mass

SUMMARY A simulation of monthly global gravity coefficients has been created that represents time-variable hydrology, ice mass loss and global mean sea level rise. Hydrology variations are from a numerical model, whereas the ice mass variations are based on recently observed rates and patterns of melt for glaciers, Greenland and Antarctica. A eustatic sea level variation consistent to balance the mass variations over land is added. This simulation is then used to test the capability of recovering trends in ocean mass, continental water storage and Greenland and Antarctica melting, using methods used to determine these from GRACE data. We find that ocean mass trends can be significantly biased low by the large melting rates from Greenland, Antarctica and glaciers, unless data within 300 km of continents is ignored. Any smoothing of the data beyond a truncation to degree/order 60 will also slightly bias the result. Trends of continental water storage and Antarctica mass loss also tend to be biased due to the sea level rise signal leaking into the estimate. Greenland melting rates are not affected.