cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced hind limb ischemia-reperfusion injury in Toll-like receptor-4 mutant mice is associated with decreased neutrophil extracellular traps

Objective Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is a significant problem in the management of patients with acute limb ischemia. Despite rapid restoration of blood flow after technically successful open and endovascular revascularization, complications secondary to IR injury continue to occur and limit clinical success. Our aim was to create a murine model of hind limb IR injury to examine the role of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) and to determine whether inactive TLR4 led to a decrease in the detection of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which are known to be highly thrombogenic and may mediate microvascular injury. Methods A calibrated tension tourniquet was applied to unilateral hind limb of wild-type (WT) and TLR4 receptor mutant (TLR4m) mice for 1.5 hours to induce ischemia and then removed to initiate reperfusion. At the end of 48 hours of reperfusion, mice were euthanized and hind limb tissue and serum specimens were collected for analysis. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of hind limb skeletal muscle tissue were examined for fiber injury. For immunohistochemistry, mouse monoclonal antihistone H2A/H2B/DNA complex antibody to detect NETs and rabbit polyclonal antimyeloperoxidase antibody were used to identify infiltrating cells containing myeloperoxidase. Muscle adenosine triphosphate levels, nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity, the α-subunit of inhibitor of NF-κB light polypeptide gene enhancer, poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase activity, and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression were measured. Systemic levels of keratinocyte-derived chemokine, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor in the serum samples were also examined. Results IR injury in the hind limb of WT mice demonstrated significant levels of muscle fiber injury, decreased energy substrates, increased NF-κB activation, decreased levels of α-subunit of inhibitor of NF-κB light polypeptide gene enhancer, increased inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, and increased poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase activity levels compared with the TLR4m samples. Additionally, there was marked decrease in the level of neutrophil and monocyte infiltration in the TLR4m mice, which corresponded to similar levels of decreased NET detection in the interstitial space and in microvascular thrombi. In situ nuclease treatment of WT tissue sections significantly diminished the level of NET immunostaining, demonstrating the specificity of the antibody to detect NETs and suggesting a potential role for nuclease treatment in IR injury. Conclusions These results suggest a pivotal role for TLR4 in mediating hind limb IR injury and suggest that NETs may contribute to muscle fiber injury.
Religion as a peace tool

(2002). Religion as a peace tool. Global Review of Ethnopolitics: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 94-109.
The vermiculate surface pattern in brow ridges of Australopithecines and other very ancient hominids

A convoluted surface pattern of fine ridges, pits, and grooves characterized the brow ridges of Australopithecines and other very ancient fossil hominids. This vermiculate configuration terminated rather abruptly just below the fronto-zygomatic suture in Australopithecines. It was resistant to oriented cracking from weathering or fractures, contrasting with the smooth but structurally oriented zygomatic bone adjacent to it. The pattern apparently developed as individuals matured. The vermiculate pattern seems to have been a feature of brow surface in hominids through much of their identifiable history, despite substantial changes in shape and size of the supraorbital region during human evolution. Limitations on the area of vermiculate surface in Australopithecines suggest that the pattern was associated in some yet undetermined manner with overlying soft tissues. This gives evidence on the cause and functional significance of the vermiculate pattern in Neandertal and modern crania. Problems of describing surfaces as “vermiculate” are raised by observation of elaborations of surface relief on two individuals.
Gating Charge Movement Is Prevented By Open State Occupancy Of N-type (CaV2.2) Calcium Channels

L-type calcium channels show a loose coupling between channel closing and gating charge movement. There are significant gating differences between N-type and L-type channels and we wondered if some of these differences were linked to the relationship between charge movement and channel opening. This was accomplished by comparing the time constant (τ) for channel closing (τDeact) with that for Off-gating charge movement (τ QOff) over a range of voltages. Ionic currents were recorded in 5 mM Ca2+, while gating currents were recorded in 0.1 mM La3+ and 5 mM Mg2+ (La-Mg) from N-channels expressed in HEK 293 cells. τ QOff was larger than τDeact and the voltage dependence of the τ QOff was less steep than that for τDeact, which suggests that gating charge relaxation does not limit channel closing. To determine if the reverse was true, we used roscovitine, which slows N-channel closing by holding the channel in a high Po open state. We found that τ QOff was identical to τDeact in roscovitine. There was a risk that residual ionic tail current could contaminate Off-gating current, so we used an envelope protocol to measured the recovery time course of QOn (no ionic current contamination), and found the same τ as for both τ QOff and τDeact in roscovitine. This coincidence of τ QOff with τDeact suggests that transition out of the roscovitine-bound high Po open state becomes rate limiting to both QOff and channel closing. We conclude that, unlike L-channels, the high Po N-channel open state places the channel into a confirmation that locks gating charge into the activated position.
Analysis of mutagenic amino acid pyrolyzates with a fused silica capillary column

In this study, application of a fused silica capillary column for analysis of major mutagenic heterocyclic compounds found in cooked foods was investigated.
Microclimatic Temperature Relationships over Different Surfaces

Abstract Microclimate refers to the climate near the ground. Small-scale localized climates are affected greatly by the nature of the underlying surface and its thermal characteristics. The purpose of this microclimatic study is to examine comparative temperatures measured over different surfaces in an urban campus setting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Surface and air temepratures were sampled using an aspirating psychrometer and surface temperature probe. Observations were taken at two-hour intervals of the diurnal variation over five different surfaces—natural grass, bare ground (soil), gravel parking lot, concrete sidewalk, and blacktop parking lot. The warmest air temperatures were found over the artificial paved surfaces (blacktop and concrete) while the coolest readings occurred over the natural grass. Grass initially exhibited the warmest surface temperatures during the morning hours, but rapid cooling after the peak in solar radiation caused the natural grass to become coolest through the afternoon.
Trends from the United States with end of life decisions in the intensive care unit.

Objective To describe the changes that have occurred in the United States since medicine has moved away from a paternalistic model to one that promotes patient autonomy and self-determination. To discuss the implications for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the increasing use of when not to perform CPR and other life-sustaining therapies. To describe the various interpretations of the ritual term Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) and to introduce the concept of futility in the context of non-beneficial over-treatment and discriminatory under-treatment.
How Many Women Have Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is widely viewed as a major public health concern, but the exact magnitude of the problem is uncertain and likely to depend on how the condition is defined. Noninvasive bone mineral measurements can be used to define a state of heightened fracture risk (osteopenia), or the ultimate clinical manifestation of fracture can be assessed (established osteoporosis). If bone mineral measurements more than 2 standard deviations below the mean of young normal women represent osteopenia, then 45% of white women aged 50 years and over have the condition at one or more sites in the hip, spine, or forearm on the basis of population-based data from Rochester, Minnesota. A smaller proportion is affected at each specific skeletal site: 32% have bone mineral values this low in the lumbar spine, 29% in either of two regions in the proximal femur, and 26% in the midradius. Although this overall estimate is substantial, some other serious chronic diseases are almost as common. More importantly, low bone mass is associated with adverse health outcomes, especially fractures. The lifetime risk of any fracture of the hip, spine, or distal forearm is almost 40% in white women and 13% in white men from age 50 years onward. If the enormous costs associated with these fractures are to be reduced, increased attention must be given to the design and implementation of control programs directed at this major health problem.
Capsaicin treatment in adult Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats: neurochemical effects in the spinal cord.

The effects of s.c. capsaicin treatment on the thoracic spinal cord contents of immunoreactive substance P (ISP), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) were investigated in adult male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats. Capsaicin administered s.c. significantly reduced the concentration of ISP in the thoracic spinal cords from rats of both the WKY and SHR strains. The s.c. administration of capsaicin significantly increased the NE contents of the thoracic spinal cords in rats of both the WKY and SHR strains, and both vehicle- and capsaicin-treated SHR animals exhibited significantly greater thoracic spinal cord NE concentrations than did rats from the corresponding WKY treatment groups. In contrast, s.c. capsaicin treatment significantly increased the concentration of 5-HT only in the thoracic spinal cords of SHR subjects. These results strongly suggest that the neurochemical effects of s.c. capsaicin administration on the spinal cord were not specific to ISP-containing neurons since significant changes in the concentrations of NE and 5-HT were also produced by capsaicin treatment. These capsaicin induced changes in the concentrations of putative neurotransmitter substances in the spinal cord are related to previously reported alterations in nociception and cardiovascular regulation produced by s.c. capsaicin administration. Physiological and pharmacological mechanisms possibly relating the neurochemical changes produced by capsaicin to the behavioral and cardiovascular effects of the drug previously reported are advanced and discussed.
Assay and purification of a solubilized membrane receptor that binds the lysosomal enzyme α-l-iduronidase

A receptor that binds the lysosomal enzyme α-l-iduronidase via phosphorylated mannose residues on the enzyme has been solubilized from Swarm rat chondrosarcoma membranes using a pH 9.5 buffer containing 0.1% Triton X-100. Detergent-solubilized receptor in crude and purified preparations was measured by assay of bound α-l-iduronidase after adsorbing the receptor-enzyme complex onto insoluble phospholipid vesicles (liposomes). Binding of α-l-iduronidase to the liposomes required receptor and was completely inhibited by mannose 6-phosphate but not glucose 6-phosphate, indicating that the receptor maintained specificity following solubilization. Receptors from rat chondrosarcoma and human diploid fibroblasts were purified to apparent homogeneity using a phosphomannan-Sepharose affinity column. Both had identical molecular weights in polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (Mr = 215,000). Amino acid analysis and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was carried out on the purified rat chondrosarcoma receptor. Two forms of the receptor with different pI's were observed (pI 5.5 and 6.2). One form (pI 5.5) was made more basic (pI 5.8) by treatment with neuraminidase.
DYNAMIC STABILITY ANALYSIS WITH NONLOCAL DAMAGE

Abstract The classic localization instability analysis for strain-softening materials is expanded to dynamic solutions. The nonlocal continuum with local strain, which ensures proper convergence of finite element calculations and physically realistic solutions, is adopted in its simplified form, the nonlocal damage model. The dynamic response of a one-dimensional bar initially in a uniform strain-softening equilibrium state is calculated by finite elements. The stability limit of the bar subjected to a small initial disturbance is computed from the time evolution of the energy dissipation due to damage. The limits found for various lengths of bar are very close to static analytic calculations and exhibit the correct size effect when bars of increasing length are considered.
Two-drug combinations that increase apoptosis and modulate bak and bcl-X(L) expression in human colon tumor cell lines transduced with herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase.

Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) and ganciclovir (GCV) gene therapy can induce apoptosis in tumor cells that are normally resistant to this type of cell death, although the cellular mechanisms by which this occurs remain to be elucidated. Human colon tumor cell lines expressing HSV-TK were treated with GCV or four other inducers of apoptosis: butyrate, camptothecin (CPT), Taxol (paclitaxel), or 7-hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01). Over a 2–4 day treatment period with GCV or the other four drugs, protein levels of the apoptosis agonist Bak increased 1.5- to 3-fold, whereas a corresponding decrease in the levels of the apoptosis antagonist, Bcl-XL, was observed in butyrate-, CPT-, and 7-hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01)-treated cells. GCV and paclitaxel treatments resulted in increased levels of Bcl-XL. In two-drug combinations with GCV plus one of the four other drugs, increased tumor cell killing was found with GCV plus UCN-01 or with some GCV/butyrate combinations; the other two tested combinations were largely antagonistic. The GCV/UCN-01 and GCV/butyrate combinations resulted in increased Bak and decreased Bcl-XL protein levels, while the GCV/CPT and GCV/paclitaxel combinations resulted in increased levels of both proteins. The results highlight the potential for new combination therapies of HSV-TK/GCV and chemotherapeutic drugs that result in increased tumor cell apoptosis for future treatments of colon cancer.
The Relation Between Adenosine Triphosphate and Microbial Biomass in Diverse Aquatic Ecosystems

By using autoradiographic examination of 14C labeled viable cells, natural phytoplankton communities were separated into living and non-living components. Comparisons of carbon to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content of living cells yielded consistent ratios with depth, during periods of high and low nutrient supply at Lake Tahoe. Over time the ratio fluctuated by no more than ± 17% of the mean between the time of maximum nutrient supplies and nutrient depletion. The viability of specific phytoplankton groups was surprisingly low at times, indicating that conventional counting methods tend to overestimate live biomass. A survey of lakes differing in trophic states and having diverse phytoplankton and bacterial assemblages has shown that ATP measurements can be used as an accurate measure of total living microbial biomass.
Scavenger receptor-BI is a receptor for lipoprotein(a)

Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is a multi-ligand receptor that binds a variety of lipoproteins, including high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL), but lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has not been investigated as a possible ligand. Stable cell lines (HEK293 and HeLa) expressing human SR-BI were incubated with protein- or lipid-labeled Lp(a) to investigate SR-BI-dependent Lp(a) cell association. SR-BI expression enhanced the association of both 125I- and Alexa Fluor-labeled protein from Lp(a). By confocal microscopy, SR-BI was also found to promote the internalization of fluorescent lipids (BODIPY-cholesteryl ester (CE)- and DiI-labeled) from Lp(a), and by immunocytochemistry the cellular internalization of apolipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein B. When dual-labeled (3H-cholesteryl ether,125I-protein) Lp(a) was added to cells expressing SR-BI, there was a greater relative increase in lipid uptake over protein, indicating that SR-BI mediates selective lipid uptake from Lp(a). Compared with C57BL/6 control mice, transgenic mice overexpressing human SR-BI in liver were found to have increased plasma clearance of 3H-CE-Lp(a), whereas mouse scavenger receptor class B type I knockout (Sr-b1-KO) mice had decreased plasma clearance (fractional catabolic rate: 0.63 ± 0.08/day, 1.64 ± 0.62/day, and 4.64 ± 0.40/day for Sr-b1-KO, C57BL/6, and human scavenger receptor class B type I transgenic mice, respectively). We conclude that Lp(a) is a novel ligand for SR-BI and that SR-BI mediates selective uptake of Lp(a)-associated lipids.
Transient complete homonymous hemianopia associated with migraine.

Abstract Introduction Because of the transient and rare nature, objective visual and neuroimaging evaluation during an acute, spontaneous attack of a migrainous aura causing a complete homonymous hemianopia has not been reported. Case Report A healthy 27-year-old white woman with a history of typical aura with migraine presented during an episode of no light perception in the right hemifield of both eyes. Ophthalmic testing and neuroimaging were unremarkable. The visual field defect started to resolve 1 hour after initial symptoms, and significant improvement was seen after 4 hours. One year later, the patient had no visual field defects and had not experienced another episode of homonymous hemianopia. Discussion More than one third of migrainous patients experience visual symptoms. Typical aura with migraine is diagnosed usually by history. Laboratory testing and neuroimaging are necessary if an alternative cause is suspected, i.e., the aura begins after age 40 years, negative features are predominant, or the aura is very short or prolonged. Correct diagnosis is critical, because conditions that mimic migrainous aura have potentially devastating consequences. Migraine with aura patients may have persistent visual field defects and are at an increased risk for stroke compared with nonmigraine patients. This case improves our knowledge of the nature of a transient homonymous hemianopia associated with migraine.
Predicted absorption rates with simultaneous bulk fluid flow in the intestinal tract.

Abstract A general physical model for simultaneous peristaltic bulk fluid flow and absorption along the intestinal tract is described. Within the framework of this physical model, various physicochemical properties and transport mechanisms are considered including passive transport, and passive transport coupled with facilitated diffusion or membrane metabolism. Important parameters obtained from previous in situ rat intestinal absorption studies serve as useful preliminaries to show the interplay of bulk fluid flow rate along the intestinal tract, pH, intestinal length, and the permeabilities of the aqueous boundary layer and membrane on the predicted fraction of drug absorbed. A means of estimating the anatomical reserve length, which would be based upon experimentally determined parameters in situ , and its usefulness in making predictions of value to the clinician are considered as well.
Yeast glutathione reductase Studies of the kinetics and stability of the enzyme as a function of pH and salt concentration

1. The pH dependencies of the apparent Michaelis constant for oxidized glutathione and the apparent turnover number of yeast glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2) have been determined at a fixed concentration of 0.1 mM NADPH in the range pH 4.5--8.0. Between pH 5.5 and 7.6, both of these parameters are relatively constant. The principal effect of low pH on the kinetics of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction is the observation of a pH-dependent substrate inhibition by oxidized glutathione at pH less than or equal 7, which is shown to correlate with the binding of oxidized glutathione to the oxidized form of the enzyme. 2. The catalytic activity of yeast glutathione reductase at pH 5.5 is affected by the sodium acetate buffer concentration. The stability of the oxidized and reduced forms of the enzyme at pH 5.5 and 25 degrees C in the absence of bovine serum albumin was studied as a function of sodium acetate concentration. The results show that activation of the catalytic activity of the enzyme at low sodium acetate concentration correlates with an effect of sodium acetate on a reduced form of the enzyme. In contrast, inhibition of the catalytic activity of the enzyme at high sodium acetate concentration correlates with an effect of sodium acetate on the oxidized form of the enzyme.
Thyroid function studies in cord blood from premature infants with and without RDS

THYROID HORMONES have been reported to enhance lung maturation in several species? However, the relationship between the respiratory distress syndrome and thyroid hormone deficiency is not clear. Several studies have suggested that thyroid function, as measured by iodothyronine and TSH levels in cord blood, is decreased in infants who develop RDS as contrasted with non-RDS infants? -~ Other investigations, however, have been unable to substantiate this observation?, 6 Most studies of this nature have been deficient in the selection of the control population for comparison, and most investigators failed to take into account the effect of multiple comparisons for their statistical analysis, and thus have biased their results toward tindmg significant differences/ The purpose of the present study was to investigate thyroid gland function as reflected in cord blood specimens from a group of premature infants with RDS compared to those from a rigidly controlled non-RDS population.
Wage structure as implicit insurance on human capital in developed versus underdeveloped countries

Abstract This paper explores the role of wage structure as implicit insurance on human capital. It illustrates how smaller wage differentials in the developed world can be welfare-enhancing by acting as implicit insurance while larger wage differentials in underdeveloped countries make investments in human capital riskier. In other words, with smaller wage differentials, the students in a developed country are insured against poor educational outcomes through the existence of well-paid alternative employments which are not present in the economy of a less developed country. This result arises as multiple equilibria in a general equilibrium model when there are no insurance markets for human capital.
Swelling/syneresis phenomena in gel-forming interpolymer complexes

Grafted poly(methacrylic acid-g-ethylene glycol) (P(MAA-g-EG)) copolymers were synthesized and their pH sensitivity investigated as a function of copolymer composition and PEG graft molecular weight. Interpolymer complexation occurred by hydrogen bonding between carboxylic groups on poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and ether groups on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). This complexation was sensitive to the surrounding environment as complexes formed at pH levels low enough to insure substantial protonation of PMAA acid groups. At high pH, the acid groups became neutralized and did not form complexes. P(MAA-g-EG) membranes showed pH-sensitivity due to complex formation and dissociation. Uncomplexed equilibrium swelling ratios were much higher than those of the complexed states and varied according to copolymer composition and PEG graft length. Mesh sizes in the two states were determined. Swelling under oscillatory pH conditions and constant ionic strength revealed the dynamic sensitivity of P(MAA-g-EG) membranes. Under changing pH conditions, network syneresis (complexation) occurred more rapidly than network expansion (decomplexation) because of the rates of diffusion of specific ions causing the responses. No distinct water fronts were observed. Instead, water transport was continuous through the gel. These gels show great promise for a number of biomedical applications where fast biomaterial response is necessary.
The Origin and Development of Instabilities in Radiatively-Driven Stellar Winds

The numerous observational indicators of instability in the radiatively-driven winds of hot stars are reviewed briefly, followed by a summary of the present theoretical understanding of the linear instability of such winds. This provides the motivation for the hydrodynamic simulations, the major thrust of the paper. A serious approximation that must be made in order to reduce the cost of the simulations to a reasonable level—the absorption approximation for the radiation force—is discussed in some detail. The hydrodynamic methods are described briefly, and then the computational results for winds models computed in the absorption approximation are discussed. The most notable results pertain to the critical nature of the ratio v th/a of the intrinsic line width to the sound speed. When this ratio is large, only a negligible wind results; when the ratio is small, the wind executes permanent self-excited oscillations; in an intermediate range the wind is globally stable, but acts as a powerful wave amplifier. The morphology of the oscillations—strong rarefactions and reverse shocks—is described and related to Abbott’s linear theory, and the possible connection to observations is mentioned.
Risk and decentralization in the theory of economic policy

Abstract In this note, uncertainty is incorporated into Tinbergen's model of economic policy. If the Central Planning Authority's preferences amomg subjective probability distributions can be described by a von Neumann-Morgenstern utility function, and if certain restrictions are imposed on these probability distributions, then the Authority can delegate control over partitions of the instrument vector to its Agencies and so decentralize its decision process.
Seismo‐acoustic measurements in a highly stressed natural environment

Seismo-acoustic measurements made before and after major mine subsidence on March 27, 1968, show significant changes in the level of activity and in the b value associated with the magnitude-frequency relationship. At one mine level (−400 ft), the following observations were recorded. Both the changes in the number of events and the b value can be correlated with stress changes in the mine as a result of the subsidence. The use of high-gain instrumentation with significant reponse in the acoustic range allows the recording of large numbers of events. These measurements provide information on the link between the laboratory measurements on rock specimens and the ultramicroearthquake field observations.
Strategies to Analyze Milk Losses Caused by Diseases with Potential Incidence Throughout the Lactation: A Lameness Example

Abstract The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that lameness incidence in lactating dairy cows decreases milk production compared with controls and to determine the best method of the 5 combinations of 2 study designs (retrospective cohort and retrospective matched cohort) and 3 repeated measures statistical methods: ANOVA (with binary classification of lameness); ANOVA with a lameness index (LAMIX) as the variable of interest; and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA, controlling for mean milk production for the first 3 wk of lactation and with a binary classification of lameness). Data were from 1 dairy farm located near Ithaca, NY, and from cows that calved between January 1, 2004 and January 1, 2007. The LAMIX was defined as −1, −2, −3, −4, and −5 = 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5 mo before lameness was detected, respectively; 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 = 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mo after diagnosis, respectively; and 0 = cows that were never lame. With the binary lameness classification analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA, there was no effect of lameness on milk yield. The model was biased because lame cows had higher milk yields before lameness compared with nonlame cows. When the LAMIX was used, milk production before lameness was greater than after lameness (3.1 ± 0.28 kg/d). Yet, point estimates generated for LAMIX were inaccurate because of the multicollinearity detected between LAMIX and week of lactation and because of the inability of adjusting the least squares means for the interaction of LAMIX and week of lactation. Therefore, the most appropriate models were the ANCOVA models (both for the matched and nonmatched retrospective-cohort designs). The estimated losses associated with lameness were 314 and 424 kg/cow per 305-d lactation, respectively, for the matched and nonmatched designs. Furthermore, high milk yield in the beginning of the lactation was a risk factor for lameness.
Groundbased infrared imaging of Comet Giacobini‐Zinner: The distribution of dust during the ICE flyby

A thermal-infrared image of Comet Giacobini-Zinner has been used to determine the spatial distribution of dust grains in the Comet's coma. In the present paper the results of this imaging which bear on the expected impact rate of dust grains on the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) are emphasized. The expected impact rate is calculated for a range of grain radii. For particle sizes comparable to those inferred for most comets, the impact rate is on the order of several hundred per second. This rate is in agreement with the predictions by Divine (1985), but it is more than two orders of magnitude larger than the rate observed by ICE if the observed impacts were on the spacecraft body. However, the observed impact rate is roughly comparable to that inferred from the infrared imaging if, as suggested by Gurnett et al. (1986), the impacts were on the ICE antennae, which had a much smaller cross-sectional area than the spacecraft body.
Lesion-forming technologies for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

R R c e c a t b l h k l d t a c c t t c ntroduction he ability to safely and effectively treat atrial fibrillation AF) using catheter-based methods has greatly increased the nterest in developing technologies for the management of his arrhythmia. The general goal of these technologies is to reate myocardial lesions that are effective, can be created n a reasonable time frame, and result in minimal or no ollateral damage. An ideal energy source for catheter abation is yet to be defined. All the energy sources being used or lesion formation in AF initially were developed for reating discrete focal lesions for arrhythmias such as atrioentricular nodal reentrant tachycardia and accessory pathays. The various energy sources currently applied to treatent of AF and some of their individual properties are iven in Table 1. The purpose of this review is to highlight he biophysical principles of lesion formation and to provide framework for assessing new technologies. Although atheter-based and hand-held surgical tools for AF manageent have similar energy sources, specific technologies that re currently used exclusively for surgical treatment are utside the scope of this article. The lack of a clear mechanistic understanding of AF is eflected in the pattern of development of multiple different echnologies for its cure. A single ablative platform capable f meeting the multiple demands necessary for a successful atheter-based ablation strategy for AF—sufficiently deep esions, linear lesions, and circular lesions in the antrum of he pulmonary veins—likely will not be available in the ear future. Despite apparent differences in ablation strateies, a common thread is the recognition that ablation does ave a useful effect. The American College of Cardiology/ merican College of Cardiology (ACC/AHA) guidelines or the management of AF incorporate catheter ablation as valid therapeutic option. Early studies examining AF blation as primary therapy also have been reported. lobal evolution of AF ablation indicates that these thera-
Developmental ability of porcine oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro

The developmental abilities of porcine oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro were examined in vivo and in vitro. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured in mM199 supplemented with 10% porcine follicular fluid (PFF) and hormonal supplements (PMSG, hCG and estradiol-17beta) for 20 h and then without hormonal supplements for an additional 20 h. In Experiment 1, oocytes were then co-cultured for 6 h with spermatozoa which had been preincubated with 1% PFF (PFF-treated) or without (control). Oocytes were transferred to oviducts of gilts or cultured in modified Whitten's medium for 5 d. The percentages of oocytes with monospermic penetration (59%, 42 71 ) and with monospermic penetration and male and female pronuclei (32%, 23 71 ) were higher (P < 0.01) in the PFF-treated group than in controls (25%, 18 71 and 8%, 6 71 , respectively). After 5 d, the percentages of oocytes that developed to the morula or blastocyst stages in vitro and in vivo in the PFF-treated group (10%, 28 288 and 13%, 41 318 , respectively) were also higher (P < 0.05) than in controls (2%, 6 284 and 6%, 16 248 , respectively). Whereas some oocytes that were matured and fertilized in vitro developed to the blastocyst stage after 5 d in vivo culture (3%, 9 288 in PFF-treated group and 2%, 6 284 in control), no blastocysts were observed after 5 d when oocytes were cultured in vitro. When the progression of in vitro development of porcine oocytes that were matured and fertilized in vitro was examined in Experiment 2, morulae appeared after 72 h of culture, and 3% (3 100 ) of the oocytes developed to the blastocyst stage after 144 h (6 d) of culture. These results demonstrate that decreasing polyspermic penetration and increasing monospermic male pronuclear formation, as a result of PFF treatment of maturing spermatozoa, improved the developmental ability of porcine oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro. However, development in vitro was delayed by approximately 24 h compared with in vivo development, most of the embryos were blocked at the morula stage.
Glaucomatous Versus Nonglaucomatous Optic Disc Cupping: Clinical Differentiation

Cupping of the optic nerve head associated with normal intraocular pressure (IOP) is a common clinical presentation for which clearly defined management guidelines have not been established. The clinical approach represents a diagnostic challenge because the mechanism of optic nerve injury is often difficult to objectively establish. Of paramount importance is the primary distinction between physiologic cupping and pathologic cupping, and the accurate subclassification of eyes with pathologic cupping. Therefore, it is essential for clinicians to differentiate glaucomatous from nonglaucomatous disc damage. This article reviews the clinical differentiation of eyes with glaucomatous and nonglaucomatous optic disc cupping.An effective, albeit imperfect, rule of thumb dictates that eyes with retention of central acuity, absence of dyschromatopsia, and vertical cupping that corresponds to a nerve fiber bundle visual field defect are generally glaucomatous. Compressive lesions of the anterior visual pathway are ...
Trafficking of Systemic Fluorescent Gentamicin into the Cochlea and Hair Cells

Aminoglycosides enter inner ear hair cells across their apical membranes via endocytosis, or through the mechanoelectrical transduction channels in vitro, suggesting that these drugs enter cochlear hair cells from endolymph to exert their cytotoxic effect. We used zebrafish to determine if fluorescently tagged gentamicin (GTTR) also enters hair cells via apically located calcium-sensitive cation channels and the cytotoxicity of GTTR to hair cells. We then examined the serum kinetics of GTTR following systemic injection in mice and which murine cochlear sites preferentially loaded with systemically administered GTTR over time by confocal microscopy. GTTR is taken up by, and is toxic to, wild-type zebrafish neuromast hair cells. Neuromast hair cell uptake of GTTR is attenuated by high concentrations of extracellular calcium or unconjugated gentamicin and is blocked in mariner mutant zebrafish, suggestive of entry via the apical mechanotransduction channel. In murine cochleae, GTTR is preferentially taken up by the stria vascularis compared to the spiral ligament, peaking 3 h after intra-peritoneal injection, following GTTR kinetics in serum. Strial marginal cells display greater intensity of GTTR fluorescence compared to intermediate and basal cells. Immunofluorescent detection of gentamicin in the cochlea also revealed widespread cellular labeling throughout the cochlea, with preferential labeling of marginal cells. Only GTTR fluorescence displayed increasing cytoplasmic intensity with increasing concentration, unlike the cytoplasmic intensity of fluorescence from immunolabeled gentamicin. These data suggest that systemically administered aminoglycosides are trafficked from strial capillaries into marginal cells and clear into endolymph. If so, this will facilitate electrophoretically driven aminoglycoside entry into hair cells from endolymph. Trans-strial trafficking of aminoglycosides from strial capillaries to marginal cells will be dependent on as-yet-unidentified mechanisms that convey these drugs across the intra-strial electrical barrier and into marginal cells.
Automatic high-resolution optoelectronic photogrammetric 3D surface geometry acquisition system

A fast, high-resolution, automatic, non-contact 3D surface geometry measuring system using a photogrammetric optoelectronic technique based on lateral-photoeffect diode detectors has been developed. Designed for the acquisition of surface geometries such as machined surfaces, biological surfaces, and deformed parts, the system can be used in design, manufacturing, inspection, and range finding. A laser beam is focused and scanned onto the surface of the object to be measured. Two cameras in stereo positions capture the reflected light from the surface at 10 kHz. Photogrammetric triangulation quickly transforms the pair of 2D signals created by the camera detectors into 3D coordinates of the light spot. Because only one small spot on the object is illuminated at a time, the stereo correspondence problem is solved in real time. The resolution is determined by a 12-bit A/D converter and can be improved up to 25 600 $\times$ 25 600 by oversampling. The irregular 3D data can be regularized for use with image-based algorithms.
Therapeutic potential of novel glutamate receptor antagonists in migraine

Background: Migraine is a common and disabling neurological disorder. Although the pharmacotherapy of migraine has advanced in parallel with our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, there is still a considerable unmet need to find more effective treatments. Migraine pathophysiology involves activation or the perception of activation of the trigeminovascular system. Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, is implicated in elements of the pathophysiology of the disorder, including trigeminovascular activation, central sensitization and cortical spreading depression. Objective: The aim of this article is to review the potential use of glutamate receptor antagonists as innovative neuronally targeted treatments of migraine. Methods: A systematic search of peer-reviewed publications was performed in PubMed on glutamate and migraine/trigeminovascular activation, and important references providing an insight into migraine pathophysiology are included. The results of unpublishe...
The financial crisis and Indian banks: Survival of the fittest?

Abstract The Indian banking system was initially thought to be insulated from the global financial crisis owing to heavy public ownership and cautious management. It was thus a surprise when some banks experienced deposit flight, as depositors shifted their money toward government-owned banks and specifically toward the State Bank of India, the largest public bank. While there was some tendency for depositors to favour healthier banks and banks with more stable funding, the reallocation of deposits toward the State Bank of India cannot be explained by these factors alone. Rather it appears that the implicit government guarantee of the liabilities of the country's largest public bank dominated other considerations.
Can a questionnaire predict vitamin D status in postmenopausal women

Objective Our objective was to determine whether a questionnaire can identify individuals with vitamin D insufficiency (VDI). Design Women completed the Vitamin D & Sun (VIDSUN) questionnaire and we measured their serum 25-hydrocyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire to identify VDI (25(OH)D level <50 nmol/l). Setting Clinical Research Unit, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Subjects Postmenopausal women. Results We recruited 609 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 61 (sd 6 years), of whom 113 (19 %) had VDI. Women with VDI were more likely to be black (17 % v. 2 %, P < 0·001), heavier (BMI 33·0 (sd 7) kg/m2 v. 29·0 (sd 7) kg/m2, P < 0·001) and less likely to tan in the past year (49 % v. 72 %, P < 0·001), use sunscreen (57 % v. 72 %, P < 0·001) or report sun exposure in the last 3 months. They consumed less vitamin D from supplements (2·15 (sd 5·24) μg/d (86 (sd 210) IU/d) v. 4·55 (sd 8·48) μg/d (188 (sd 344) IU/d), P = 0·003). In logistic regression models, black race, BMI, suntan within the past year, sun exposure in the past 3 months, sunscreen use and supplemental vitamin D intake were the most useful questions to identify VDI. From these six items, a composite score of ≤2·25 demonstrated ≥89 % sensitivity but ≤35 % specificity for VDI. Conclusions The VIDSUN questionnaire provides an initial tool to identify postmenopausal women at high or low risk of VDI. Existing studies suggest that inclusion of physical activity and TAG levels might improve the performance of the VIDSUN questionnaire.
Management of stress and prevention of burnout in emergency physicians.

We conducted a study to measure participating practitioners' burnout levels and to identify coping methods used by these physicians to manage stress. A cross-sectional study was done with a sample of 77 physicians employed in emergency departments in 24 private, public, and university-affiliated teaching hospitals in the greater Los Angeles area. Data revealed that 60% of the physicians reported medium to high emotional exhaustion and 78% medium to high depersonalization, while 84% reported medium to high levels of personal achievement. Physicians who reported high levels of job satisfaction and personal accomplishment use a balanced number of short-and long-term coping methods in dealing with stress. Further studies should be undertaken to facilitate in-depth analysis of the characteristics of those emergency physicians who report low levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization as well as high levels of personal achievement to identify factors that lead to the successful practice of emergency medicine.
SET-THEORETICAL BASIS FOR REAL NUMBERS

twenty axioms used by Tarski which are sufficient for the arithmetic of real numbers and are to the effect that real numbers form a complete ordered field.2 Indeed, we cannot prove in L all Tarski's twenty axioms in their full generality. One of them, stating in effect that every bounded class of real numbers possesses a least upper bound, can only be proved as a metatheorem which states that every bounded nameable class of real numbers possesses a least upper bound. However, all the other nineteen axioms can be proved in L without any modification. This result may be of some interest because the axioms of L are considerably weaker than those commonly employed for the same purpose. In L variables need to take as values only classes each of whose members has no more than two members. In other words, only classes each with no more than two members are to be elements. On the other hand, it is usual to assume for the purpose of natural arithmetic that all finite classes are elements, and, for the purpose of real arithmetic, that all enumerable classes are elements. 2. The system L. In developing L, elementary logic (viz., the theory of truth functions and quantifiers) is assumed from the beginning. The single additional primitive is the two place predicate e with which we can generate formulas of L from variables and logical operators in the usual manner. The usual definitions (e.g., D9-D35 of [21) of the theory of classes and relations are assumed. In particular, let tx denote the unit class of x, x u y denote the sum class of x and y, and V denote the class of all elements. The axioms of L are given by the following three statements: Mi. tx U by f V. M2. x = y D . x e z D y e z. M3. If q is any formula of L in which y is not free, then . (3y)(x)(x e yW
Synergistic Effects of High Blood Cholesterol and Hypertension on Leukocyte and Platelet Recruitment in the Cerebral Microcirculation

Hypertension or hypercholesterolemia can induce a proinflammatory and prothrombogenic phenotype in the microcirculation of the brain; however, less is known about how the combination of these risk factors affects the vasculature. We recently reported that a moderate (60%) increase in plasma cholesterol blunts the recruitment of leukocytes and platelets in the cerebral microvessels elicited by hypertension. In this study, we examined whether larger increments in blood cholesterol (4-fold) exerts a similar modulating influence on the vasculature in the presence of hypertension. Apolipoprotein E–knockout mice with deoxycorticosterone acetate salt–induced hypertension were placed on a high-cholesterol diet and exhibited exaggerated leukocyte and platelet adhesion responses in cerebral microvessels. Intermittent feeding (every fourth day) with high-cholesterol diet yielded similar phenotypic changes in the vasculature. Once the mice were placed on high-cholesterol diet, 4 days on normal diet (ND) were needed to revert to a normal vascular phenotype. Angiotensin II type 1 receptors and reactive oxygen species seem to contribute to the vascular responses induced by hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Our findings indicate that the combination of hypertension and large increases in plasma cholesterol concentration results in a severe, but reversible, inflammatory and thrombogenic phenotype in the cerebral microvasculature.
A Domination Approach to Clustering Nodes for Data Aggregation

We present a systematic approach to selecting cluster heads in regular mesh topologies based on the idea of k- Domination in graphs. Given a graph, G=(V,E), a subset D of V is said to be a 1-dominating set if every node v in V is either in D or is adjacent to a node in D. A subset D is said to be a k- dominating set if every node v, not in D, is connected to a node in D via a path of length less than or equal to k. Using regular mesh topologies that are obtained by embedding a collection of nodes in a two dimensional grid, where each node has q neighbors, we show how k-dominating sets impact the energy consumed and the quality of service of the data aggregation. We present simulation results that validate the results.