cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Role of Niacin in Managing Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance Niacin remains a therapeutic option for patients with cardiovascular disease, but recent studies have called into question the effectiveness of other drugs that increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Objective To systematically review and evaluate the evidence supporting current US Food and Drug Administration–approved uses of niacin in cardiovascular disease prevention settings. Data Sources MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trial Register (Central), ClinicalTrials.gov, and TrialResults-center, from database inception to October 2017. Study Selection The systematic review included clinical trials involving niacin as a treatment for cardiovascular disease. The meta-analysis included randomized clinical trials reporting niacin’s effect, as exposure, on at least 1 long-term cardiovascular disease outcome. Data Extraction and Synthesis Aggregate study-level data were extracted between November 2017 and January 2018 by 3 independent reviewers, and the analysis was performed in February 2018. Inverse-variance weighted methods were used to produce pooled risk ratios using random-effects models for between-study heterogeneity. Random effects–weighted metaregression analysis was used to assess the association of change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels with the log risk ratio of the pooled results. Main Outcomes and Measures Cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease mortality, and other cardiovascular events, including acute coronary syndrome, fatal and nonfatal stroke, revascularization, and major adverse cardiac events. Results Of 119 clinical trials, 17 documented niacin’s effect on at least 1 cardiovascular disease outcome. The meta-analysis included 35 760 patients with histories of cardiovascular disease or dyslipidemia. Cumulative evidence found no preventive association of niacin with cardiovascular outcomes in secondary prevention. Stratified meta-analysis showed an association of niacin monotherapy with reduction of some cardiovascular events among patients without statin treatment (acute coronary syndrome: relative risk, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58-0.96; stroke: relative risk, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.59-0.94; revascularization: relative risk, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.37-0.72). These results were mainly derived from 2 trials conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Conclusions and Relevance Niacin may have some use in lipid control for secondary prevention as monotherapy, perhaps in patients intolerant to statins, but evidence is from older studies on a population potentially not representative of current-day patients.
Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome: A Healthcare Professional Parent Perspective

The nomenclature and idea of food in everyday life can be strongly shaped by culture. Some cultures are food-centric, may perceive food as a way of life, and even “live to eat.” When faced with food intolerance or allergic disease related to food, “eating to live” brings a whole new perspective into a food-centric family’s way of life. Food started making a family member sick and was challenging to identify why. This chapter will discuss a family’s journey leading to and through a diagnosis of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). Perspectives throughout this chapter not only come from a mother of a child with FPIES but also a seasoned adult critical care nurse and an academic nurse educator.
Monitoring of Indonesia Tropical Rainforests and Land Cover Change Using Hybrid Approach of Time Series Landsat Data

Monitoring of the forests of Indonesia is performed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) in collaboration with the Indonesian Space Agency (LAPAN). The MoEF mapping method entails the visual interpretation of Landsat, with national-scale map products made from 1990 onward. As part of the development of a national carbon accounting system, LAPAN developed a method for processing national-scale mosaics, which were used to prototype forest loss algorithms. The mosaics are now used as the primary reference for the MoEF map updates. We assessed the accuracy of the MoEF time-series maps of forest cover and found a high accuracy for tracking primary and secondary forest loss. However, improving the efficiency and timely delivery of the annual update is now the primary focus of the MoEF/LAPAN collaboration. A new spectral product that highlights areas of likely land change based on a spectral index and forest loss indication map are now used to help target analysts efforts in updating the annual map. This review of the national Indonesia forest monitoring system highlights 1) the strategic collaboration by operational and research agencies, 2) the desire to maintain a consistent methodological framework, 3) and the recent improvements in product latency and accuracy.
Quantifying Biases in Social Media Analysis of Recreation in Urban Parks

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of social media data for various decision-making purposes in the context of Urban Computing and smart cities, including management of public parks. Parks are critical natural assets that promote the health and well-being of urban residents, making it important that managers consider information about the quantity and character of park use in location and design decisions. However, as policy and management decisions rely on more autonomous methods, a critical concern that arises is the extent to which such analysis is fair and inclusive. In this article, we examine the biases that exist in data that are commonly used for the purpose of quantifying recreational use of urban parks. More precisely, we demonstrate the biases that exist in different sources of social media by comparing posts that are shared on Instagram and Flickr from ten urban parks in Seattle, WA. We compare the extent to which these platforms differ in terms of the information they capture about the number of people that visit the selected locations. We then demonstrate how further biases may be imposed when leveraging artificial intelligence to detect the count and demographics of park visitors, by comparing against an intercept survey of visitors.
The Importance of Lower Body Strength and Power for Future Success in Professional Men’s Basketball

Heavy resistance exercise is often prescribed for collegiate basketball players to enhance game performance, but few data are available concerning the transference of lower body strength and power to the opportunity to play professionally after college. This study investigated if lower body muscular power and strength measures obtained during the barbell squat are related to future professional playing opportunities. The data was collected over a seven year period from a collegiate men’s basketball program (n=37; X±SD, age=20.0±1.4 yrs, hgt=1.98±0.09 m, bw=94.5±11.8 kg). Lower body strength was determined from 1 repetition maximum (1RM) tests of the parallel high-bar squat. Maximum lower body squat power was determined from speed squat testing across a load spectrum (30-90% 1RM) while an external tethered dynamometer or a 3-D video motion capture system quantified barbell power. Repeated measures ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD post hoc, Spearman ρ correlations, and Cohen’s D effect sizes were used to analyze the results. Subjects who subsequently played in the NBA or in professional leagues elsewhere had greater lower body strength and power. This was mainly attributed to their greater body mass, since strength and power relative to body mass was not different between the groups. Even without statistically significant differences, effect sizes consistently indicated moderate to large differences between the NBA and other professional groups when compared to those who did not play professionally. Regardless, lower body strength and power were related to post-collegiate playing opportunities, with greater values related to higher levels of professional play.
Isopycnal Transport and Scavenging of 230 Th and 231 Pa in the Pacific Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean hosts complex connections between ocean physics, chemistry, and biology. Changes in these connections are hypothesized to be responsible for significant alterations of ocean biogeochemistry and carbon storage both on glacial‐interglacial timescales, and in the future due to anthropogenic forcing. Isotopes of thorium (²³⁰Th, ²³²Th) and protactinium (²³¹Pa) have been widely applied as tools to study paleoceanographic conditions in the Southern Ocean. However, understanding of the chemical behavior of these isotopes in the modern Southern Ocean has been limited by a paucity of high‐resolution observations. In this study, we present measurements of dissolved ²³⁰Th, ²³¹Pa, and ²³²Th on a meridional transect along 170°W from 67°S to 54°S in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, with high vertical and meridional sampling resolution. We find Th/Pa fractionation factors below 1, highlighting the preferential removal of Pa relative to Th in a region with low lithogenic inputs where the particle flux is dominated by biogenic opal. We also find steep gradients in all three of these isotopes along neutral density surfaces from north to south, demonstrating the importance of isopycnal mixing in transporting these nuclides to the Southern Ocean. Our results suggest that ²³¹Pa and ²³⁰Th in the Southern Ocean are highly sensitive tracers of physical transport that may find use in studies of Southern Ocean biogeochemical‐physical connections in past, present, and future.
Pentecostal politics in a secular world: the life and leadership of Lewi Pethrus: by Joel Halldorf, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2020, 306 pp., £71.60 (eBook), ISBN 9783030470517

‘Pentecostals don’t just have a politics’, claims the historian, Joel Halldorf, ‘they are a politics’ (10). Given the visible and vocal support for the Trump presidency displayed by certain charism...
Time-Varying Effect Modeling for Intensive Longitudinal Data

In this chapter, we discuss the use of time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) for examining time-varying associations in intensive longitudinal data (ILD). We will demonstrate the application of TVEM to examine associations across real-time using data from a 21-day daily diary study assessing interparental and parent-child conflict. Particular focus will be given to the meaning of the variable used to indicate time and types of research questions that TVEM is poised to address when applied to ILD. Additionally, we compare and contrast TVEM with multilevel modeling.
Has Higher Household Indebtedness Weakened Monetary Policy Transmission

Has monetary policy in advanced economies been less effective since the global financial crisis because of deteriorating household balance sheets? This paper examines the question using household data from the United States. It compares the responsiveness of household consumption to monetary policy shocks in the pre- and post-crisis periods, relating changes in monetary transmission to changes in household indebtedness and liquidity. The results show that the responsiveness of household consumption has diminished since the crisis. However, household balance sheets are not the culprit. Households with higher debt levels and lower shares of liquid assets are the most responsive to monetary policy, and the share of these households in the population grew. Other factors, such as economic uncertainty, appear to have played a bigger role in the decline of households' responsiveness to monetary policy.
Security of AI Hardware Systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are changing our lives. Coming with the benefits, challenges on AI security raise concerns as AI systems are not only accessing personal and sensitive data, they are also to be deployed on systems related to life safety (e.g., autonomous vehicles and medical systems) and critical infrastructures. In this chapter, we will start from a brief introduction to modern AI systems, review reported AI security issues, and discuss possible countermeasures.
Isolated bypass grafting of the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending coronary artery: late consequences of incomplete revascularization.

Objective: Multiple strategies to achieve some degree of myocardial revascularization are available. In some, less complete revascularization is accepted to limit invasiveness. To examine the issues of incomplete revascularization, we assessed the long-term impact of additional non–left anterior descending coronary artery stenoses in patients undergoing only grafting of the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending coronary artery. Methods: A total of 2067 patients underwent primary isolated grafting of the left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending coronary artery from 1971 to 1997. Of these, 26% and 13% had 2- and 3-system disease, respectively. Multivariable analyses of survival and reintervention were performed in the hazard function domain for 27,683 patient-years of follow-up (mean 14 ± 6.7). Results: Survival was 99%, 88%, and 62% at 1, 10, and 20 years. Right coronary artery or left circumflex system disease of 50% or more (P =.02) and particularly high-grade (≥70%) left circumflex (P =.01) and proximal right coronary artery disease (P =.01), as well as any degree of left main trunk stenosis (P <.0001), were associated with reduced long-term survival. Compared with 75% 20-year survival in patients with no non–left anterior descending disease, those with either left circumflex or left main trunk disease experienced a 44% survival, and those with proximal right coronary artery disease, 42%. The most common stated reason for incomplete revascularization was small vessel size. Freedom from reintervention was 89% and 65% at 10 and 20 years, respectively. High-grade left main trunk disease, but, in contrast, mid or distal disease of the right coronary artery, and not left circumflex disease, were risk factors for reintervention. Conclusions: These findings call into question the long-term appropriateness of interventions whose strategy includes leaving unrevascularized segments in territories not in the distribution of the left anterior descending coronary artery. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;120:173-84)
Genomic profiling and functional analysis implicates CRKL amplification at 22q11 in lung cancer pathogenesis

5681 DNA amplification, leading to overexpression of oncogenes, frequently contributes to the initiation and progression of lung cancer. To discover novel amplifications, we performed array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) on a set of 33 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines using cDNA microarrays containing 22,000 mapped genes. Among our findings, we identified a focal recurrent amplification at 22q11 harboring CRKL (encoding the adaptor protein CRKL) in 3 of 33 cell lines (9%). CRKL is known to mediate BCR-ABL oncogenic signaling in chronic myelogenous leukemia and to effect cell dispersal via breakdown of adherens junctions in breast cancer cell lines, but its role in lung carcinogenesis has not been explored. In lung cancer cell lines with CRKL amplification, we found CRKL to be over-expressed at both the RNA and protein level. Knocking-down CRKL expression by RNA interference in cell lines with amplification (as compared to a cell line without amplification) led to decreased cell proliferation, as well as decreased motility and invasion (measured by Boyden chamber). By aCGH analysis, we also identified CRKL amplification in a subset of primary NSCLC specimens. Taken together, our findings implicate a role for CRKL amplification in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, and suggest a potential novel target for therapeutic intervention.
Isolation and Partial Characterization of Reticulocyte Factors M1 and M2

Abstract Two factors, M1 and M2, isolated from a 0.5 m KCl reticulocyte ribosomal wash fraction by diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography, are required for a lowering of the Mg++ concentration optimum for polyuridylic acid-dependent polypeptide synthesis (the "Mg++ shift"). These factors have been separated from the polypeptide chain elongation factors T1 and T2. M1 is capable of binding phenylalanyl-tRNA and N-acetylphenylalanyl-tRNA to washed reticulocyte ribosomes at low Mg++ concentration, yet it cannot substitute for T1 in peptide chain elongation. It appears, therefore, that M1 may be functioning at a ribosomal site distinct from the aminoacyl site.
Lipid patterns of selected microorganisms as determined by gas-liquid chromatography.

The cellular lipid patterns of seven strains of microorganisms were examined by gas-liquid chromatography in this preliminary study. The chloroform methanol-soluble lipids were extracted by the Soxhlet method from dried cultures which had been grown at 25 ± 2 C for 18 hr with mechanical shaking. The cellular extract was methylated by use of a low temperature sulfuric acid method, and the resulting methyl esters were chromatographed. Considerable differences in the lipid patterns among the seven microorganisms tested indicated that this method might be useful for the identification of closely related microbial genera, and possibly for species differentiation.
Fast secure computation of set intersection

A secure set intersection protocol between sender S and receiver R on respective inputs X and Y s.t. |X|, |Y| ≤ n, allows R to learn X ∩ Y while S learns nothing about R's inputs. In other words it is a secure computation of functionality FSIn×n : (X, Y) → (⊥,X ∩ Y ) on sets of size at most n. A variant we call adaptive set intersection implements an interactive version of this functionality, which on senders S's input X allows the receiver R to adaptively make up to n queries yi and learn whether or not yi ∈ X. We show that a simple protocol using |X|+4|Y| modular exponentiations and one round of interaction is a secure computation of the adaptive set intersection functionality against malicious adversaries in the Random Oracle Model (ROM) under a One-More Gap Diffie-Hellman (OMGDH) assumption, i.e. assuming the One-More Diffie-Hellman problem is hard even when the DDH problem is easy. Even though the protocol has only a single round, the corresponding ideal functionality is adaptive because receiver's queries are efficiently extractable only eventually, rather than during protocol execution. However, under the OMGDH assumption in ROM the set of queries any efficient receiver can make is committed at the time of protocol execution, and hence no efficient adversary can benefit from the adaptive feature of this functionality. Finally we show that this protocol easily extends to Set Intersection with Data Transfer, which is equivalent to the "Keyword Search" problem, where sender S associates each item xi in X with a data entry di, and R learns all (xi, di) pairs such that xi ∈ Y.
Computer program for design and performance analysis of navigation-aid power systems

The paper examines the requirements, design rationale, operation, and verification of a computer program designated as design synthesis/performance analysis (DSPA) computer program, which is capable of performing all the calculations necessary to understand the overall characteristics of solar array/battery power systems for navigation-aid applications. Despite the uncertainties in the erratic solar array degradation data and the potential impact on actual battery behavior, verification of the DSPA is considered successful. The program is shown to have the capability of simulating the performance of solar array/battery navigation-aid power systems. It can also be used to synthesize power system designs and provide essential design and cost data.
A system for structured high-performance multithreaded programming in Windows NT

With the advent of inexpensive multiprocessor PCs, multithreading is poised to play an important role in computationally intensive business and personal computing applications, as well as in science and engineering. However, the difficulty of multithreaded programming remains a major obstacle. Windows NT support for threads is well suited to systems programming, but is too unstructured when multithreading is used for the purpose of speeding up program execution. In this paper, we describe a system for structured multithreaded programming. Thread creation operations are multithreaded variants of blocks and loops, and synchronization objects are based on Boolean flags and integer counters. With this system, most multithreaded program development can be performed using traditional sequential methods and tools. The system is integrated with Windows NT and Microsoft Developer Studio Visual C++. We are developing a variety of applications in collaboration with other researchers, to demonstrate the power of structured multithreaded programming on commodity multiprocessors running Windows NT. In one benchmark application (aircraft route optimization), we achieved better performance on a quad-processor Pentium Pro system than the best results reported on expensive supercomputers.
A practical implementation of a hierarchical control system for telerobotic land vehicles

The author presents a practical hierarchical control system for telerobotic land vehicles. The goal of the architecture is to enable the user to have a relatively inexpensive control system that can be easily upgraded as the application demands. This is accomplished by having low-level modules that provide interfaces to hardware and the external environment and communicate with higher levels through the global memory. The levels of the hierarchy above the first level, referred to as layers of intelligence, are application dependent and allow the vehicle to execute more autonomous operation as the layers are added. There remains an operator interface to all levels of the hierarchy so that previous capabilities may be demonstrated while adding new levels. This architecture was implemented on RAYBOT, a robotic land vehicle at Sandia National Laboratories. The vehicle control module and the first layer of intelligence (teleoperation) have been implemented in hardware and have performed well. The ability to make quick modifications to the control system and the advantages of the hierarchical architecture have been demonstrated. >
Increased epicardial fat and plasma leptin in type 1 diabetes independently of obesity

Background and aim: Visceral fat and related adipokines, such as leptin and adiponec- tin, have been recently suggested to play a role in type 1 diabetes. Nevertheless epicardial fat, the visceral fat of the heart, has been poorly explored in type 1 diabetes. In this study we sought to measure epicardial fat thickness, plasma leptin and adiponectin levels in type 1 diabetic subjects. Methods and results: 15 subjects with type 1 diabetes (age 52.8 � 12, 10 females, 5 males, BMI 27.8 � 5.2) and 15 non-diabetic controls underwent echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness measurement and blood tests for adipokines and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). There were no dif- ferences in BMI, age, sex, blood pressure, inflammatory markers and adiponectin between sub- jects with diabetes and controls. Daily insulin requirement of subjects with type 1 diabetes was 0.54 � 0.2 UI/kg and HbA1c was 7.6 � 1.0 reflecting acceptable glycemic control. Patients with Type 1 diabetes showed significantly higher epicardial fat thickness (7.2 � 2.1 vs 4.9 � 2.5 mm p < 0.01) and plasma leptin levels (25.9 � 19 vs 18 � 12 ng/ml p < 0.01) than con- trols. Leptin resulted in the best independent correlate of epicardial fat thickness (R 2 Z 0.48,
Likelihood based inference for cause specific hazard rates under order restrictions

We consider the competing risks model with grouped data or with discrete Failure times where a unit is exposed to several risks, but its eventual failure is due to exactly one of the causes. Nonparametric maximum likelihood estimates of the cause specific hazard rates are obtained under the restriction that these risks are uniformly ordered. We allow for random censoring. Unlike most papers on this topic, no assumption is made about the independence of the various risks, although we do assume that the censoring mechanism is acting independently of the life distribution. We derive the likelihood ratio statistic for testing the null hypothesis of equality of cause specific hazard rates against ordered alternatives. The asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic is seen to be of the chi-bar squared (χ2) type. The procedures developed here are illustrated with the help of an example involving survival rates for mice exposed to radiation.
Evidence of CYP3A Allosterism In Vivo: Analysis of Interaction Between Fluconazole and Midazolam

The allosteric effect of fluconazole (effector) on the formation of 1'-hydroxymidazolam (1'-OH-MDZ) and 4-hydroxymidazolam (4-OH-MDZ) from midazolam (MDZ), a substrate of CYP3A4/5--members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes--was examined in healthy volunteers. Following pretreatment with fluconazole, the ratio of the areas under the curve (AUCs) for 4-OH-MDZ and MDZ (AUC(4-OH)/AUC(MDZ)) increased by 35-62%, whereas the ratio AUC(1'-OH)/AUC(MDZ) decreased by 5-37%; the ratio AUC(1'-OH)/AUC(4-OH) decreased by 46-58% after fluconazole administration and had no association with the CYP3A5 genotype. The in vitro formation of 1'-OH-MDZ was more susceptible to inhibition by fluconazole than that of 4-OH-MDZ. Fluconazole decreased the intrinsic formation-clearance ratio of 1'-OH-MDZ/4-OH-MDZ to an extent that was quantitatively comparable to in vivo observations. The elimination clearance of MDZ metabolites appeared unaffected by fluconazole. This study demonstrated that fluconazole alters formation of MDZ metabolites, both in vivo and in vitro, in a manner consistent with an allosteric interaction. The 1'-OH-MDZ/4-OH-MDZ ratio may serve as a biomarker of such interactions among MDZ, CYP3A4/5, and other putative effectors.
The Influence of Environmental Temperature Upon Adrenal Activity of Bursectomized Chicks

Abstract SINCE the original observations by Sayers et al. (1944) adrenal ascorbic acid has been shown to decrease following adrenocortical stimulation in a wide variety of species. Increased adrenal activity is frequently used as a criterion for physiological stress. The response of the adrenal gland to cold stress is more widely used than similar responses to heat stress. The bursa of Fabricius has been shown to regress in the presence of adrenal extract (Selye, 1943), in periods of cold stress (Garren and Shaffner, 1956), and with injections of cortisone acetate (Glick, 1957). Changes in weight and histology of the bursa of Fabricius seem to be closely related to adrenal activity (Garren and Barber, 1955). However, it has been shown that injections of ACTH and of epinephrine in chicks (Jailer and Boas, 1950; Howard and Constable, 1958; Breitenbach, 1962) and in quail (Baldini and Zarrow, 1951) did not deplete the adrenals of . . .
Education CREATIVE THINKING AND INNOVATIVE EDUCATION IN THE DECISION SCIENCES

Creative problem solving is seldom addressed directly in the decision sciences literature. The first half of this paper reviews current thinking about creativity and its educational importance. The remainder addresses creative problem-solving processes and, in particular, the process developed by Parnes, Noller and Biondi [24] and Osborn [23]. This process has been integrated into an OR/MS problem-solving course which is described. Conclusions and implications for decision sciences education and practice in general are discussed.
Smooth Rational Curves on Enriques Surfaces

Let S be an Enriques surface over an algebraically closed field k of arbitrary characteristic p. Recall that this means that S is a connected smooth projective surface whose canonical class is numerically trivial and second Betti number equal to 10 [4]. It is well-known that, generically over k=(E, an Enriques surface does not contain nonsingular rational curves. This can be seen, for example, by considering the period space for such surfaces I-3]. Also, it is known that if S contains such a curve, then, again generically, it contains infinitely many of them. This can be seen, for example, by viewing an Enriques surface as an elliptic surface whose jacobian surface is a rational elliptic surface. Assuming that the latter is general enough, its translation group is infinite and acts on S by automorphisms. Thus, the existence of one such curve implies the existence of infinitely many. In this paper we prove the following rather surprising result:
Respiratory changes in isolated perfused rat kidneys after freeze-thaw and hypothermic storage.

Summary Oxygen consumption was measured in isolated rat kidneys before and after various types of damage. The kidneys were perfused with an asanguineous medium at 20 to 21°C and the pO 2 of the perfusate was recorded by a polarographic electrode. Autolysis at 37°C for 5 hrs invariably reduced oxygen uptake significantly. Quick freezing markedly increased oxygen uptake and a slower freezing rate produced a moderate increase. Dimethyl sulfoxide markedly decreased the quick freeze effect; this agent had no direct effect on O 2 uptake. Treatment with streptolysin O, a known cytolytic agent, mimicked the effects of freezing. It was concluded that increased oxygen uptake produced by freezing and by streptolysin resulted from membrane damage and the decrease caused by autolysis from enzyme decrease caused by autolysis from enzyme degradation. Kidneys stored at 4°C for 24 hrs exhibited no change in oxygen consumption, but after 48 and 72 hrs of storage oxygen uptake had increased significantly. A combination of metabolic inhibitors failed to alter this response. Oxygen uptake rate clearly cannot be used as an index of the functional integrity of the stored kidney but is useful in detecting two types of cell damage and in the study of cryoprotective agents.
Relief of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in Infants and Small Children with Valved Extracardiac Conduits

Six infants and small children underwent placement of a porcine valved apical-aortic conduit for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Five survived operation and continue to do well without evidence of marked narrowing or valve regurgitation in the conduit. The operative technique is described.
Weight Loss Prevents Urinary Incontinence in Women With Type 2 Diabetes: Results From the Look AHEAD Trial

Purpose: We determined the effect of weight loss on the prevalence, incidence and resolution of weekly or more frequent urinary incontinence in overweight/obese women with type 2 diabetes after 1 year of intervention in the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial.Materials and Methods: Women in this substudy (2,739, mean ± SD age 57.9 ± 6.8 years, body mass index 36.5 ± 6.1 kg/m2) were randomized into an intensive lifestyle weight loss intervention or a diabetes support and education control condition.Results: At baseline 27% of participants reported urinary incontinence on a validated questionnaire (no significant difference by intensive lifestyle intervention vs diabetes support and education). After 1 year of intervention the intensive lifestyle intervention group in this substudy lost 7.7 ± 7.0 vs 0.7 ± 5.0 kg in the diabetes support and education group. At 1 year fewer women in the intensive lifestyle intervention group reported urinary incontinence (25.3% vs 28.6% in the diabetes support an...
Gas-particle flow in vertical pipes with high mass loading of particles

Abstract In high-velocity gas-particle flows with high mass loading of particles, the inertial and viscous effects are dominated by contributions from the particle phase. In a recent article (Dasgupta et al., AIChE J., 40 (1994) 251), we derived a mathematical model for the fully developed flow of such a suspension in a vertical pipe and showed that the non-uniform distribution of particles over the cross-section, seen experimentally in such flows, is a direct consequence of the unsteady fluctuations. In this article, we present performance diagrams predicted by this model over a wide range of operating conditions in the concurrent upflow, countercurrent flow and concurrent downflow regimes. Comparison of the model predictions with experimental data reveals good agreement in some cases and large departures for flows at the highest solids loadings.
The Development of Biomedical Engineering: Historical Comments and Personal Observations

The historical development of biomedical engineering and biophysics in the United States is summarized as experienced by the author, concentrating on the early decades until about 1970. Sections include: Early Developments and First Institutions; Early Initiatives and Committees of the IRE and AIEE Since 1947; Development of Biophysics in the USA; The IEEE Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology and the Drive for a Bioengineering Society; The Development of the Biomedical Engineering Society; Some Other Biomedical Engineering Societies; The NIH Initiative for the Development of Biomedical Engineering; First Academic Programs in Biomedical Engineering in the USA; International Interdisciplinary Organizations; and Some Conclusions and Recommendations.
Maturation-dependent gene expression in a conditionally transformed liver progenitor cell line.

We have isolated a conditionally transformed liver progenitor cell line with phenotypic similarities to both hepatoblasts (bipotent embryonic liver cells that give rise to hepatocytes and intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells) and liver epithelial cells (primitive hepatic cells isolated from adult livers capable of generating both hepatocytic and biliary lineages). Cell line L2039 was derived from E14 fetal mouse liver after transformation with temperature-sensitive SV-40 large T antigen. At 33° C, these cells have an epithelial morphology with a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio and express both hepatocytic and biliary genes, including albumin, α-fetoprotein, glutamine synthetase, insulinlike growth factor II receptor, fibronectin and laminin, and cytokeratins 8 and 19, a set of markers characteristic for hepatoblasts. The presence of cytokeratin 14, vimentin, and several oval-cell antigens link cell line L2039 to nonparenchymal liver epithelial cell populations though to contain progenitor cells. Serum-free, hormonally defined media conditions and extracellular matrix requirements were determined for growth and differentiation of this cell line. During culture on type IV collagen at 39° C, L2039 cells cease dividing and demonstrate hepatocytic differentiation with the assumption of a hepatocytelike morphology and glucocorticoid-dependent regulation of liver-specific genes, including albumin, α-fetoprotein, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and liver-enriched transcription factors. The number of albumin-positive cells increases during culture at 39° C, indicating that L2039 cells convert from a prehepatocytic to a hepatocytic phenotype. Under conditions specific for hepatocytic differentiation, C/EBPs were expressed and differentially regulated, with C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ upregulated early and C/EBPα only slightly expressed after 7 d, indicating that C/EBPα may not be a crucial factor in commitment to the hepatocytic phenotype.
Nikon EPL tool: the latest development status and results

Electron Projection Lithography (EPL) is considered one of promising technologies below 45nm node, especially for contact/via holes and gate layers. EPL has some nice features such as very high resolution to be applied for two device nodes, large process margin associated with large depth of focus and an expected lower CoO. Nikon has been developing an EPL tool, so-called EB Stepper. NSR-EB1A is the first EB Stepper that was designed as R&D tool for 65nm technology node and that was already delivered for Selete (Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.) at Tsukuba in Japan. Nikon has developed two NSR-EB1A tools so far, one system for Selete as a 300mm wafer system and the other for Nikon's development and evaluation as a 200mm wafer system. Both tools have already started to show full performance data and good stability characteristics. The latest EB1A tool performance shows very good results in such data as the resolution of 50nm 2:1 L/S and 60nm 1:1 dense contact holes patterns, stitching accuracy of around 18nm, and overlay accuracy of around 20nm(X+3sigma).
ANALYSIS OF DISCRETE FRACTIONAL OPERATORS

In this paper, we introduce two new monotonicity concepts for a nonnegative or nonpositive valued function defined on a discrete domain. We give examples to illustrate connections between these new monotonicity concepts and the traditional ones. We then prove some monotonicity criteria based on the sign of the fractional difference operator of a function f, Δνf with 0 < ν < 1. As an application, we state and prove the mean value theorem on discrete fractional calculus.
Specific nuclear DNA amounts in toads of the genus Bufo.

Specific nuclear DNA amounts were determined by Feulgen and gallocyanin chromalum cytophotometry in nine species of Bufo. These were compared with published data on DNA amounts and chromosome numbers. Together, estimates of the absolute DNA amounts of twelve species of Bufo are presented. Highest and lowest DNA amounts found in species with 22 chromosomes relate as 1.6∶1; one species with 20 chromosomes shows the lowest DNA amount determined to date.
Youth in detention and handguns

The objective of this work was to describe the frequency and correlates of handgun ownership and firearm injury experiences among youth in a detention facility. A convenience sample of 89 males detained in the King County Youth Services Center, a short-term holding facility, voluntarily completed an anonymous survey. Results showed that 59% of the youth reported owning a handgun. Firearm experiences included carrying a gun to school (46%); firing at another person (68% of handgun owners); firearm injury to self (27%); death of a close friend or family member to firearm homicide or suicide (35%). Personal safety far exceeded recreational use of guns as motivation for self-arming (52% versus 4%). Handgun ownership was more common among youth who reported problem behaviors. Adjusting for age and controlling for covariation of the problem behaviors, gang membership [odds ratio (OR) 6.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7-26.1], committing assault and battery (OR 7.7; 95% CI 2.2-26.8) and selling drugs (OR 3.6; 95% CI 0.99-13.4) were associated with handgun ownership. Our conclusion was that firearm experiences for youth in detention pose health risks equal to or far exceeding other high-risk behaviors in this population.
Dynamics of Calcitriol Uptake and Signaling using Conjugated Quantum Dots

Properties exhibited by Semiconductor Nanoparticles (Quantum Dots, (QDs)) make them powerful tools for the use as fluorescent probes for real time imaging. They are characterized by enhanced photostability, and high quantum efficiency compared to conventional organic dyes. Calcitriol, the active form of VitaminD3, belongs to the group of steroid hormones. Past research lacked to develop active Calcitriol conjugates that are stable over an extended period of time to follow its cellular uptake and intracellular dynamics. In order to design an active conjugate only one hydroxy group within the structure of Calcitriol can be used for coupling to the QD. We successfully developed a bioactive Calcitriol-QD conjugate and imaged the uptake and the dynamics of Calcitriol into cells in real time. Our data show that it is stable for at least 48h at RT. We determined its interaction with the cell membrane and accumulation in the cell nucleus. VitaminD3 can have both preventive and therapeutic effects by controlling cell growth, the cell cycle, apoptosis, and differentiation - a role greater than earlier views that focused on bone health and maintenance of calcium homeostasis. Epidemiological studies have found a significant association between low serum levels and low dietary intake of VitaminD3 and the incidence, degree of malignancy, metastases, and mortality of cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and ovaries. VitaminD3 when bound to its receptor appears to have significant protective effects against the development of cancer. Based on this research, it has been proposed that taking VitaminD3 could lower the cancer risk by 50% in colon cancer, and by 30% in breast and ovarian cancer. The mechanism for VitaminD3's chemoprevention is not well-defined, but understanding how it works would provide vital information for targeting populations at high risk for developing hormone-dependent cancers.
Potential access and revealed access to pain management medications.

Abstract The area configuration of healthcare resources, such as the number of hospitals per hundred thousand population, has often been used in healthcare planning and policy making to estimate the global access (potential access) of health services to a local population. However, the actual utilization of the “available” healthcare resources (revealed access) is usually much more limited. The objectives of this study were to examine the availability of healthcare resources by measuring the potential access and the revealed access for outpatients who need to access pharmacies to fill prescriptions of Schedule II (CII) opioids for pain management, and to explore the difference between rural and urban residents in these two types of access. About 191,700 prescriptions for CII opioids dispensed in 1997 in the state of Michigan, USA were analyzed. Revealed accessibility was measured by the distance between the paired zip codes of the pharmacy and the patient listed on each prescription. Potential accessibility was measured by the distance from a patient's zip code to that of the nearest community pharmacy that could dispense the opioid prescriptions. The analyses on revealed access showed that 50% of the CII prescriptions were dispensed by pharmacies located within a 5-mile radius of patients’ residences, 75% of prescriptions were dispensed within about a 10-mile radius, and 90% were within 20 miles. If patients were free to access the nearest pharmacy for dispensing (a hypothetical situation under potential access), the median, 75th percentile, and 90th percentile distances could reduce to 2, 3, and 5 miles, respectively. Similar differences between revealed and potential access were observed in both rural and urban areas and for every major opioid drug group. We conclude that policymakers should recognize the discrepancy between potential and revealed accessibility and move beyond only considering area configuration of healthcare resources to evaluating and improving access to care.
The mediating role of pain in substance use and depressive symptoms among Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) participants

Pain in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) frequently co-occurs with substance use and depression. The complex associations among patient characteristics, pain, depression, and drug use in HIV suggests a role for testing models that can account for relationships simultaneously, control for HIV status, and also test for mediation. Using structural equation modeling, the current study examined associations among pain, sociodemographics, illicit drug use, and depressive symptoms in 921 HIV-seropositive and 1019 HIV-seronegative men from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, an ongoing prospective study of the natural history of HIV infection among gay/bisexual men. Longitudinal repeated measures data collected over a 6-year period were analyzed using predictive path models in which sociodemographics, HIV status, and CD4+ cell counts predicted pain, which, in turn, predicted depressive symptoms and illicit drug use. The path models did not differ substantially between HIV-seropositive and -seronegative men. Analyses using the total sample indicated that pain served both as a mediator and as a predictor of more use of cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, as well as more depressive symptoms. HIV-seropositive status predicted more use of inhaled nitrites. In this cohort, having lower CD4+ cell counts (predicted by HIV status), being African American, less educated, and older were all associated with more pain, which, in turn, was associated with more illicit drug use and more depressive symptoms. The results underscore the need for adequate pain management, particularly among vulnerable subgroups of HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative men to reduce the risk of drug use and depression.
Education TEAM‐SIZE EFFECTS ON BUSINESS GAME PERFORMANCE AND DECISION‐MAKING BEHAVIORS

The effects of various decision-making team sizes in a complex business game were studied. Firm size was associated with nonlinear performance results and decision curves resulting in differential learning outcomes, learning sources, attrition rates, and decisionmaking behaviors. A three-member format produced the highest learning levels while two-member firms experienced only marginally significant knowledge increases. Single-member firms experienced the most bankruptcies and dropouts. A contingency view of gaming effectiveness is suggested.
Late-life rapamycin treatment reverses age-related heart dysfunction

Rapamycin has been shown to extend lifespan in numerous model organisms including mice, with the most dramatic longevity effects reported in females. However, little is known about the functional ramifications of this longevity-enhancing paradigm in mammalian tissues. We treated 24-month-old female C57BL/6J mice with rapamycin for 3 months and determined health outcomes via a variety of noninvasive measures of cardiovascular, skeletal, and metabolic health for individual mice. We determined that while rapamycin has mild transient metabolic effects, there are significant benefits to late-life cardiovascular function with a reversal or attenuation of age-related changes in the heart. RNA-seq analysis of cardiac tissue after treatment indicated inflammatory, metabolic, and antihypertrophic expression changes in cardiac tissue as potential mechanisms mediating the functional improvement. Rapamycin treatment also resulted in beneficial behavioral, skeletal, and motor changes in these mice compared with those fed a control diet. From these findings, we propose that late-life rapamycin therapy not only extends the lifespan of mammals, but also confers functional benefits to a number of tissues and mechanistically implicates an improvement in contractile function and antihypertrophic signaling in the aged heart with a reduction in age-related inflammation.
Combinatorial approach to turbine bond coat discovery.

A nondestructive method for the high-throughput screening of novel bond coat materials has been developed. By using a suite of characterization techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, a rapid determination of thermally grown oxide phases and their protective capability over a continuous composition spread sample can be obtained. The methodology is validated with the Ni–Al system. The procedure developed in this work results in the rapid identification of bond coat composition regions in which the preferred thermally grown oxide, α-Al2O3, is nucleated thus significantly reducing the amount of phase space that needs to be explored in subsequent studies.