cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Paramedics are bringing in a hypotensive gastrointestinal bleeder: An unexpected diagnosis

Abstract Background: Acute esophageal rupture is a rare emergency that must be diagnosed quickly and treated aggressively to avoid significant morbidity and mortality. The typical presentation of this disease includes chest pain, and the diagnosis is challenging when cardinal features such as this are absent. Objectives: This case report discusses an atypical presentation of esophageal rupture in a patient with a predisposing condition and highlights the diagnostic and cognitive difficulties involved in making the appropriate diagnosis. Case Report: We report a case of a 51-year-old woman who presented to the Emergency Department with hypotension and an emergency medical services report of hematemesis. The patient had a documented history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome during her past hospitalizations; however, the patient was not anemic and had a negative stool guiac despite symptoms for 3 days. A subsequent chest radiograph led to the diagnosis of esophageal rupture with a bilateral pneumothorax requiring thoracostomies. She reported no chest pain. Conclusions: The esophageal rupture and subsequent hypotension was likely secondary to the combination of her Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and recent vomiting episodes. It is important to avoid premature diagnostic closure and think about unusual presentations of emergent conditions such as esophageal rupture.
Pharmacogenomics: Bridging the gap between science and practice

Abstract Objective To educate pharmacists about principles and concepts in pharmacogenomics, clinical applications of pharmacogenomic information, and the social, ethical, and legal aspects of pharmacogenomics and to describe a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-supported pharmacogenomics education program for pharmacists and other health professionals. Data sources Primary literature from PubMed, recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration and Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Working Group, prescribing information, websites of government agencies and professional organizations, and relevant textbooks. Study selection Not applicable. Data extraction Not applicable. Data synthesis Principles and concepts of pharmacogenomic nomenclature, polymorphism types, and systematic approach to understanding polymorphisms were reviewed. Drug therapy for select therapeutic areas that highlight the applicability of pharmacogenomics are presented, including abacavir, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tamoxifen, and warfarin. Challenges of translating pharmacogenomics into clinical practice included ethical, social, legal, and economic issues. We have developed a pharmacogenomics education program to disseminate evidence-based pharmacogenomics information and provide a resource for health professionals, including pharmacists. Conclusion Pharmacists play a critical role in the education of patients and health professionals in the area of pharmacogenomics.
Increasing the apparent density of cast baddeleyite-corundum products for making optical glass

In order to facilitate the production of optical glass, the Podolsk Refractories Factory is manufacturing products corresponding to the BKCh-33 and BKCh-34 grades and having an apparent density not less than 3.4 and 3.6 g/cm 3, respectively [3]. The experience gained during the service of these products showed that the formation of striae* (spills) and bubbles becomes very intense when the central porous zone (cavity) of the beam comes into contact with the glass mass. This zone is characterized by a high concentration of a glassy phase, pores~ and gas liberating impurities.
Steroid hormones modulate the production of nitric oxide and cGMP in the rat uterus.

Previously, we demonstrated the presence of an L-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway in the rat uterus and that NO inhibits contractility during pregnancy but not during delivery. In the present study, we investigated the possible role of sex steroid hormones in the regulation of NO synthesis and cGMP generation. NO, measured as nitrite production, and cGMP were determined in full thickness uterine tissues from either pregnant rats on different gestational days or nonpregnant animals after treatment with steroid hormones. NO formation was low in tissues from nonpregnant rats, substantially increased during pregnancy and decreased during labor and immediately postpartum. The cGMP content in the same tissues followed a similar trend. Uterine nitrite production and cGMP levels from animals treated with estradiol and estradiol + progesterone were significantly lower compared to those treated with vehicle or progesterone. These data provide strong evidence that the NO-cGMP ...
Hydrophilic Nanotube Coating of Ti Implant Materials for Potential Rapid Bone Regeneration

The properties of implant materials used in humans may have important influences on the outcomes of clinical treatments. Recently, titanium and titanium alloys have been extensively employed as in-vivo implant materials, due to their generally favorable biocompatibility, high resistance to corrosion, and relatively low cost. On the other hand, even when using chemically identical materials, the biocompatibility of an implant or its stability depends heavily on its surface structure, as well as the thickness and properties of the surface oxide film. As the characteristics of the implant surface have been reported to play an important role in the in-vivo reactions of implants, a great deal of interest has recently been focused on different surface treatment methods. Currently, there are a variety of methods with which titanium implant surfaces are treated. The anodizing method is an electrochemical technique, which forms a rough, thick oxidized capsule with nanotubular structures on the implant surface. To increase the biocompatibility and bone regeneration and to improve the current shortcomings of Ti and Ti alloy (Ti6Al4V)implants, we applied a uniquely fabricated nanotubular coating over the surface of such implants.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
A four phase model of capillary tracer exchange.

In previously proposed models of capillary tracer exchange, red cell membranes have usually been assumed tobe either infinitely permeable or completely impermeable to tracer molecules. Permeability of the extravascular cellular compartment has been treated previously, but never in conjunction with finite capillary and red cell permeability effects. Our objective was to examine the situation encountered with multiple indicator experiments in which tracer exchange may be limited by red cell, tissue and capillary membranes. A four phase model is presented which accounts for plasma, red cell, interstitial, and extravascular cellular regions. Results from this model indicate that transcapillary tracer exchange is affected by a minimum of seven dimensionless parameters. The influence of relatively low red cell permeability is most pronounced when the dimensionless capillary permeability is high (i.e., αcap ⩾ 1). Deviations in transcapillary extraction values from those corresponding to infinitely permeable erythrocytes can be kept below 5% when capillary permeability is low (i.e., αcap ⩽ .15) by pre-equilibrating the injectate with tracer prior to injection. The additional barrier in the extravascular region necessarily decreases overall transvascular tracer exchange but does not affect extraction values in the vicinity of the appearance time.
Design of a cylindrical mirror analyzer for use with synchrotron radiation to investigate autoionization phenomena and angular distributions of photoemitted electrons

Abstract A first-order cylindrical mirror analyzer was designed and constructed to take advantage of the continuum nature and polarization of synchrotron radiation to study autoionization and angular distributions of electrons. Autoionization in the region 14.20–16.35 eV was found to contribute intensity to the lowest ionic state of ethylene. Seven Rydberg series converging to the seven vibrational levels of the fourth ionic state are reported. The applicability for measuring gas-phase angular distributions and the expected intensity variations from this type of experiment are discussed.
Incidence of atypical nontraumatic diaphyseal fractures of the femur

Bisphosphonates reduce the rate of osteoporotic fractures in clinical trials and community practice. “Atypical” nontraumatic fractures of the diaphyseal (subtrochanteric or shaft) part of the femur have been observed in patients taking bisphosphonates. We calculated the incidence of these fractures within a defined population and examined the incidence rates according to duration of bisphosphonate use. We identified all femur fractures from January 1, 2007 until December 31, 2011 in 1,835,116 patients older than 45 years who were enrolled in the Healthy Bones Program at Kaiser Southern California, an integrated health care provider. Potential atypical fractures were identified by diagnostic or procedure codes and adjudicated by examination of radiographs. Bisphosphonate exposure was derived from internal pharmacy records. The results showed that 142 patients had atypical fractures; of these, 128 had bisphosphonate exposure. There was no significant correlation between duration of use (5.5 ± 3.4 years) and age (69.3 ± 8.6 years) or bone density (T-score −2.1 ± 1.0). There were 188,814 patients who had used bisphosphonates. The age-adjusted incidence rates for an atypical fracture were 1.78/100,000/year (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5–2.0) with exposure from 0.1 to 1.9 years, and increased to 113.1/100,000/year (95% CI, 69.3–156.8) with exposure from 8 to 9.9 years. We conclude that the incidence of atypical fractures of the femur increases with longer duration of bisphosphonate use. The rate is much lower than the expected rate of devastating hip fractures in elderly osteoporotic patients. Patients at risk for osteoporotic fractures should not be discouraged from initiating bisphosphonates, because clinical trials have documented that these medicines can substantially reduce the incidence of typical hip fractures. The increased risk of atypical fractures should be taken into consideration when continuing bisphosphonates beyond 5 years. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Distribution of absorption centers within irradiated spheres

This paper presents the distribution of absorption centers within an absorbing sphere under monochromatic, parallel illumination. Results for the equatorial plane are represented by topographical perspective views for size parameters a, up to 5, and for refractive indices up to m = 3.0−0.1i. The main features of the topography become increasingly structured with increasing magnitude of the size parameter and the real part of the refractive index. Although the imaginary part of the refractive index strongly influences the magnitude of the absorption, it does not influence the shape of the topography as long as the imaginary part is less than the real part of the refractive index. Results are also presented for m = 1.95−0.66i corresponding to carbon. The source function, which is depicted for the first time in this paper, must be the starting point for any theory of radiation pressure on small absorbing particles, for photophoresis, or for other phenomena concerned with the temperature distribution within irradiated particles.
Robust parsing for spoken language systems

A recent extension to the MIT ATIS (Air Travel Information Service) system, which allows it to answer a question when a full linguistic analysis fails is described. Robust parsing is applied only after a full analysis has failed, and it involves the two stages of (1) parsing a set of phrases and clauses, and (2) gluing them together to obtain a single semantic frame encoding the full meaning of the sentence. In a recent evaluation, less than two-thirds of the sentences analyzed yielded a full parse, but the overwhelming majority of the remaining sentences were analyzed correctly by the robust parsing scheme. When text input was replaced by recognizer outputs, even though the recognizer produced greater than 50% sentence error rate, the drop in score (%correct-%incorrect) was only 10 percentage points. This indicates that most of the recognizer errors are harmless in terms of meaning analysis, as long as a robust mechanism for accounting for the parsable phrases is in place. >
Abstract 5443: A novel biosensor for monitoring intracellular cGMP in live cells

The second messenger, cyclic guanosine 3’, 5’-monophosphate (cGMP) is a critical and multifunctional signaling molecule involved in many cellular processes. Intracellular cGMP is synthesized by guanylyl cyclase (GC) and is degraded by various phosphodiesterase (PDE) isozymes. Increased levels of cGMP can activate cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), modulate cGMP-gated ion channels, or affect PDE activity. Since cGMP plays an important physiological role and may also be involved in various pathological conditions, including cancer, CNS disorders, and vascular deficiencies, cGMP-specific PDE isozymes represent an important class of drug targets. In order to measure intracellular cGMP levels in live cells, we constructed a novel genetically encoded cGMP biosensor with cGMP binding domains (from human PDE5A GAF-A domain) fused to a modified firefly luciferase. A lipid based reagent was used to transiently transfect HEK293 with this biosensor. Cells were then treated with the nitric oxide donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or NOR-3, which are known to activate soluble GC. Bioluminescence was measured every 2 minutes for at least 60 minutes following treatment. Both SNP (50 µM) and NOR-3 (100 µM) caused a 3-fold increase in bioluminescence compared with vehicle treated cells, reaching a maximum within 10 to 20 minutes of compound addition. Co-transfection with soluble GC further increased the response up to 13-fold following SNP treatment. In addition, PDE inhibitors such as, zaprinast, dipyridamole and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine amplified the response to SNP treatment. As expected, co-transfection with PDE5A decreased the basal level of cGMP and increased the sensitivity of the cGMP response to zaprinast and SNP, as well as the combination. These results suggest that this cGMP biosensor can be useful for studying drug effects on cGMP signaling in live cells. Methods to use the assay for high throughput screening are also being developed. Funding provided by NIH/NCI grants CA131378 and CA148817. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5443. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5443
A general treatment of 1-dimensional hopping conduction

Abstract Ac and dc conduction in electronic hopping systems exhibits nearly all the features common to conducting glasses. Models for transport in electronic glasses are much more concrete than in say ionic conducting glasses. Nevertheless even in electronic hopping systems exact solutions have been obtained only in very limited cases, specifically 1-d spatially random systems. Analogies to the much more numerous “traditional” glasses may founder due to the peculiarities of infinite 1-d systems, but if finite 1-d systems are considered, a careful analogy to the usual glasses may be drawn. A general method is given here to determine the ac and dc conductivities of finite 1-d electronic glasses, and the implications for glassy conduction generally are considered.
Annular Mode Variability of the Atmospheric Meridional Energy Transport and Circulation

AbstractMonth-to-month variability in the meridional atmospheric energy transport is analyzed in the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis for 1979–2012. The meridional transport of moist static energy (MSE) is composited onto the high and low phases of the northern and southern annular modes (NAM and SAM). While the high phase of the NAM and SAM is known to involve a poleward shift in the midlatitude storm track and jet, it is shown here that the distribution of poleward MSE transport shifts equatorward. This change is explained by examining the variability of the underlying meridional circulation. In particular, changes in the mass transport averaged on dry and moist static energy levels are considered. These circulations have an advantage over the conventional Eulerian circulation for explaining the total energy transport. They are computed using the statistical transformed Eulerian-mean (STEM) formulation, which provides a decomposition of the circulation i...
Single-Record versus Separate-Record Approaches for Cataloging E-Serials in the OCLC WorldCat Local Environment

Libraries have been making decisions on whether to use a single- or separate-record approach for cataloging e-serials based on what works best in their local library integrated systems and which approach is likely to save cataloging time. However, in the new network-level cataloging and OCLC WorldCat Local environment, we need to make cataloging decisions based on what works best in a network-level platform. This article discusses the OCLC WorldCat Local environment, the concept of network-level cataloging, and why Washington State University has responded by migrating from a single-record to separate-record cataloging policy for e-serials.
A photomultiplier tube incorporating an avalanche photodiode

Abstract A photomultiplier tube incorporating an avalanche photodiode operated in the electron bombardment mode has been developed and tested. It has a large linear dynamic range, can operate with gains up to 10 6 , is unaffected by axial magnetic fields and has been measured to have excellent timing properties. Different versions of the tube were made with bialkali, multi-alkali, and negative electron affinity photocathodes, in this paper we will report on results obtained with these different types of photocathodes. This type of PMT will be useful for applications where large dynamic range and high quantum efficiencies are required. The extension of this concept to a multichannel device with a segmented APD array will provide an economical readout for both fiber tracking and calorimetry applications. A tube equipped with such an array is being developed currently as a readout option for the SDC shower maximum detector.
On gyre interactions

Abstract The principal meeting point of the subtropical and subpolar gyres of the North Atlantic is at the Tail of the Grand Banks where the two western boundary currents, the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current, join forces as the North Atlantic Current, which flows northeast almost 10° in latitude before turning east as the Subpolar Front, ultimately feeding the Labrador and Nordic Seas and the thermohaline overturning. After the Gulf Stream turns into the North Atlantic Current at the Grand Banks, its role shifts from a wind-driven current to a link in the large-scale thermohaline circulation. The processes governing this transition, in particular the continued transport north of mass and heat, are questions of considerable climatic importance. The North Atlantic Current is a very unusual western boundary current in that its mass transport decreases in the downstream direction. The mean path and annual shifting of the eastward flowing Gulf Stream is conjectured to result from a time-varying shelf-Slope Water overflow of waters from the Labrador shelf. As the volume transport increases in fall and deepens the Slope Water pycnocline, it forces the Gulf Stream south and deepens the Sargasso Sea thermocline as well. The timing of these steps governs the June maximum in baroclinic transport. There is some evidence that this ‘back-door’ gyre interaction may operate on interannual time scales as well. The question then arises whether the shelf-to-Slope Water Sea transport also plays a role in governing the separation of the Gulf Stream. The widely observed robustness of the width of the Gulf Stream appears to result from a tight balance between the release of available potential energy and the kinetic energy of the current. A broader current would release more energy than can be ‘disposed of’, while a narrower current requires more kinetic energy than is available to sustain it. It is shown that for plausible dissipation rates in the recirculation gyres, the amount of energy that needs to be expelled from the Gulf Stream is such a small fraction of that advected through as to be vitually undetectable, hence the stiffness of the current.
A graphics-based approach to data structures

The A­C½· project was designed to educate students in undergra-duate computer science courses through the study of and solution to large-scale problems in computer graphics. Our ultimate aim is that this approach would be applied to all computer science courses in the B.A. curriculum. In the first years of this project, we have been working on the foundational sequence, which includes CS1, CS2, and CS3 (data structures and advanced programming). For this last course, which also includes the study of algorithms in our curriculum, we present an approach to teaching data structure concepts using advanced graphics algorithms. The results thus far have been promising, and we are continuing to evaluate and en-hance the approach.
AN EXAMINATION OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT RISK PERCEPTION

Excessively optimistic judgements of driving competency and accident risk have often been implicated in the disproportionate involvement of young males in traffic crashes. In this study, young male and female drivers (ages 18-24) were asked to judge their relative driving safety, skill, and accident likelihood. Comparisons were made using both peers and the average motorist as referent groups. Subjects then rated 15 risky driving behaviors on four dimensions: frequency in everyday driving, seriousness, accident potential, and apprehension likelihood. Self-report driving experience/history data were also collected. Substantial optimism was evident in both sexes, but males tended to be more optimistic, particularly when judging their driving skill. Males were equally optimistic with respect to the two referent groups; females tended to be less optimistic when making comparisons to the average motorist. Males and females held similar perceptions concerning the frequency and accident likelihood of the risky behaviors, but males perceived the behaviors as generally less serious and less likely to results in accidents. Regression analyses showed that considerably more variance in optimism could be explained for males than females. Driving record was the single best predictor of perceived safety; its role, however, was diminished for perceived skill and subjectively estimated accident likelihood.
Spinoza's Dialectical Method

Errol Harris talks about a crypto-dialectic method that lies behind the geometrical disguise of Spinoza's Ethics. Spinoza's method, he argues, is not the linear formal deduction of traditional logic but a crypto-dialectical development of the structural implications of a systematic whole. Substance differentiates itself into infinite attributes and infinite modes. Each attribute is self-differentiated into a hierarchy of modes ranging from the most complex to the simplest. Harris calls this a dialectical scale or a crypto-dialectical development of the structural implications of a systematic whole. The self-specification of the whole into attributes and modes provides the framework for a dialectical system. Spinoza's hypotheses (propositions) are implications dialectically derived from his concept of substance, a concept of a whole which differentiates itself into infinite attributes and modes. Substance is not a hypothesis but is a postulate which s i absolutely certain. Everything follows from substance with dialectical necessity. Substance is the origin of all things and ideas.
Spontaneous interpolated atrial premature complex detected by 12-lead ambulatory monitoring

Spontaneous occurrence of an interpolated atrial premature complex, an unusual finding outside of the experimental electrophysiology laboratory, was detected and confirmed by evaluation of P-wave morphology in a patient who underwent 12-lead ambulatory electrocardiography.
Ondansetron, clinical development for postoperative nausea and vomiting : current studies and future directions

The clinical development of ondansetron for the prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting has been progressing for 5 years, and continues as new directions of research are being addressed. Large multicentre studies have demonstrated the efficacy of ondansetron in the prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting, but no large comparator studies have been reported. Several studies are now being undertaken to compare ondansetron with other currently used antiemetics such as droperidol and metoclopramide, assessing efficacy, safety, pharmacoeconomic, and quality of life parameters. The majority of studies to date have been performed in gynaecological surgery patients receiving general anaesthesia--a population that experiences a high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Clinical development of ondansetron is therefore progressing to establish its efficacy in a wider surgical population, including paediatrics, the elderly, non-gynaecological surgery, and as retreatment in patients with failed prophylactic antiemetic therapy.
Interaction of baseband and envelope solitary wave solutions of the nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation with dispersion

Abstract The interaction of solitary wave solutions of the nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation for baseband and envelope propagation is numerically studied by introducing them from linear nondispersive semi-infinite regions into a finite nonlinear dispersive region which can be modeled by a cubically nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation. In both baseband and envelope cases the solitary wave solutions are unstable upon mutual interaction. Envelope propagation has less distortion after interaction, but instability in baseband case can be easily removed by incorporating a small amount of a fifth-order saturating nonlinearity in the system.
Carotenoids from the crimson and maroon plumages of Old World orioles (Oriolidae)

Recent analyses of the orange, red, and purple plumages of cotingas (Cotingidae) and broadbills (Eurylaimidae) revealed the presence of novel carotenoid molecules, suggesting that the diversity of pigments and the metabolic transformations they undergo are not yet fully understood. Two Old World orioles, the Black-and-Crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus, and the Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii, exhibit plumage colors that are similar to those of some cotingas and broadbills. To determine if these oriole plumage colors are produced by the same carotenoids or with other molecules, we used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry, and chemical analyses. The data show that the bright red feathers of O. cruentus contain a suite of keto-carotenoids commonly found in avian plumages, including canthaxanthin, adonirubin, astaxanthin, papilioerythrinone, and a-doradexanthin. The maroon feathers of O. traillii were found to contain canthaxanthin, a-doradexanthin, and one novel carotenoid, 3 0
Haplosporidiosis of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas.

Abstract Haplosporidan parasites were observed in 10 100 spat and 1 171 adult Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, reared in Matsushima Bay, Japan. Eight of the infected spat contained mild to severe plasmodial infections. The multinucleated plasmodia were 6–12 μm × 7–15 μm and were associated with an infiltration of hemocytes that occurred throughout the vesicular connective tissues of all infected oysters. Two oysters, one adult and one spat, contained advanced sporogonic infections. These were characterized by the presence of sporocysts and immature and mature operculated spores that measured 5.6–6.0 μm × 6.0–8.0 μm and were found exclusively within the digestive tubule epithelium. Electron microscopic examination revealed that mature spores contained a hinged operculum, striated and layered wall, spherule, single nucleus, and haplosporosome formative regions. Parasite morphology and infection pattern closely resemble that of Haplosporidium nelsoni, a pathogen of American oysters (C. virginica).
Are sports seedings good predictors?: an evaluation

Abstract Very little attention has been given to predicting outcomes of sporting events. While studies have examined the accuracy of alternative methods of predicting the outcomes of thoroughbred horse races, some obvious predictors of the outcomes of other sporting events have not been examined. In this paper, we evaluate whether rankings (seedings) are good predictors of the actual outcomes in two sports: (1) US collegiate basketball and (2) professional tennis. In this analysis we use statistical probit regressions with the difference in rankings as the predictor of the outcome of games and/or matches. We evaluate both the ex post and ex ante predictions using base rate forecasts and Brier scores. We conclude that the rankings, by themselves, are useful predictors and that the probits improve on this performance.
Effects of Salience of Consciousness‐Raising Information on Perceptions of Acquaintance versus Stranger Rape

In the present study the effects of salience of consciousness-raising information on the perception of acquaintance vs. stranger rape were focused on. One half of the subjects were exposed to information which emphasized the inappropriateness of sexual inequality (salient condition), while the other half were exposed to no such information (nonsalient condition). Subsequently, subjects read a passage which depicted an acquaintance rape or a stranger rape. The results indicated that those subjects in the salient condition perceived the victim more favorable and reported a lesser likelihood to commit rape (male subjects) than those in the nonsalient condition. Additionally, those in the stranger rape condition perceived the victim more favorably and reported a lesser likelihood of committing rape (male subjects) than those in the acquaintance rape condition. Finally, there was a significant interaction between salience and type of rape. To amplify, when subjects read the stranger rape passage, perceptions did not vary as a function of salience. On the other hand, when subjects read the acquaintance rape passage, those in the salient condition perceived the victim more favoraby and reported a lesser likelihood of committing rape than those in the nonsalient condition.
Localization of the Slow Conduction Zone During Reentrant Ventricular Tachycardia

Background —Reentrant ventricular tachycardia is sometimes difficult to treat effectively because localizing the slow conduction zone (SCZ) for catheter ablation may be problematic. It was hypothesized that a linear relationship exists between activating wave-front acceleration and deceleration in the SCZ and, respectively, contractions and expansions of the far-field extracellular signal, which could be used for SCZ localization. Methods and Results —To test the hypothesis, a model was developed to approximate SCZ location on the basis of the time interval between activation at the recording site and shifts in electrogram far-field deflections. Electrograms were recorded during reentry from 196 to 312 epicardial sites (canine model, 8 episodes). Activation maps of reentry were constructed to determine wave-front velocity, and piecewise linear adaptive template matching (PLATM) measured time shifts in far-field electrogram deflections. Linear trends of cycle length change often occurred during tachycardia (mean trend, +15 ms/96.8 cardiac cycles; r 2 =0.92). Alteration in the time interval for activation through the SCZ approximated the change in tachycardia cycle length (mean correspondence, 75.7%). The beginning and end times of far-field extracellular waveform time shifts measured by PLATM predicted the time from recording site activation to activation at the SCZ proximal and distal edges, respectively (mean absolute error with respect to activation mapping, 20.3 ms). Conclusions —During reentry, PLATM estimates the time interval from activation at any recording site near the circuit to SCZ activation. PLATM time intervals are convertible to arc lengths along the circuit for potentially more rapid and accurate update of a hand-held probe toward the SCZ for catheter ablation.
The new faces of primary care.

r c m d ver the past decade, the increasing proportion of female physicians has prompted numerous studies comparing clinical care provided by feale and male physicians. Such studies have found that emale physicians are more likely to provide recomended clinical preventive services to female patients, to pend more time with all patients, and to demonstrate artnership-building communication behaviors with paients. In addition, recent findings from the Physician orklife Study suggest that female physicians are more ikely to experience job-related stress (1). These findings have evoked a range of responses, from alls for a new specialty of women’s health, to subclinical oncerns that primary care will or has become a femiized ghetto. Indeed, Professor Carol Black, president of he Royal College of Physicians, recently expressed conern that the feminization of medicine may result in loss f influence on behalf of improved patient care (2). In this issue of the Journal, Fang et al (3) assessed data rom the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a ationally representative survey of physician-patient enounters, and found that from 1995 to 2000 the growth in he proportion of female primary care physicians was exeeded by the proportion of visits by women. Female hysicians were more likely to provide appropriate couneling and screening services to female patients, spending n average of 2 additional minutes per encounter. The uthors correctly note that these data provide limited inights regarding overall quality of care (e.g., male physiians may refer women to other physicians for selected ervices) or patient satisfaction. Many people may prefer to see a physician of the same ex; what is new is that female patients now have far more pportunities to exercise that choice. As the health care ystem comes to grips with the concept of patient-cenered care, this should be good news. Indeed, the authors ote that workplace adjustments in examination rooms, ractice support, and, possibly, reimbursement may enance this trend. What these data cannot reveal, however, is the patient’s ole in this dynamic relationship. We have known for ore than 30 years that women make more visits than
Managerial mobility and turnover: A longitudinal study

Abstract A longitudinal design, using multiple discriminant analysis, was used to investigate the relationships between perceptions of leader behavior, perceptions of the job situation, personal characteristics and subsequent managerial mobility and turnover behavior. Perceptual data, collected before a person quits, is fired, or is promoted discriminated between managers who were subsequently demoted or terminated.
Selenium Content of Chicken Meat as Affected by Cooking

Twelve dressed chickens of the same flock were quartered and prepared by four cooking treatments: microwaving, conventional oven cooking, broiling, and panfrying. The mean value of selenium (fluorometic method) in raw chicken was 0.38 μg/g dry weight, with no significant differences between white and dark meat. There was insignificant loss of selenium due to cooking. Cooked chicken breast had a significantly higher level of dialysable selenium compounds (MW < 2000 daltons) than raw chicken.
Comparison of response surface and kriging models for multidisciplinary design optimization

In this paper, we compare and contrast the use of second-order response surface models and kriging models for approximating non-random, deterministic computer analyses. After reviewing the response surface method for constructing polynomial approximations, kriging is presented as an alternative approximation method for the design and analysis of computer experiments. Both methods are applied to the multidisciplinary design of an aerospike nozzle which consists of a computational fluid dynamics model and a finite-element model. Error analysis of the response surface and kriging models is performed along with a graphical comparison of the approximations, and four optimization problems m formulated and solved using both sets of approximation models. The second-order response surface models and kriging models-using a constant underlying global model and a Gaussian correlation function-yield comparable results.
SOME EFFECTS OF SPINAL CORD LESIONS ON EXPERIENCED EMOTIONAL FEELINGS

In structured interviews, 26 adult males with spinal cord lesions at varying levels were asked to compare certain of their emotional feelings before and after injury. The investigator, himself a paraplegic, knew all subjects well. The major findings follow. 1Significant decreases in experienced feelings of anger, sexual excitement, fear, and an over-all estimate of change were found. 2A significant increase in feelings of sentimentality was reported. 3Although spinal cord lesions decrease some emotional feelings, overt emotional behavior may continue to be displayed. 4Support was offered for the belief that disruption of the autonomic nervous system and its afferent return causes notable changes in experienced emotional feelings. A trend was noted which suggests that the more extensive the disruption, the greater the decrease in some emotional feelings.
TOPICS AND COMMENTS: A STUDENT-FEEDBACK TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH

An easily implemented, student-feedback technique, which indexes the influence of a lesson by evaluating students'recall of key topics and relevant comments made during class, is assessed by analyzing feedback collected after two types of lessons. Seven instructors requested feedback from 259 students in ten sections of introduction to psychology. Data indicate that this student-feedback process is sensitive to instructional approaches. Specifically, when comparing lecture presentations with student-centered activities in introductory psychology classes, feedback varied in terms of (a) the way students phrased the key idea, (b) the percent of comments attributed to instructors versus peers, (c) the relevance of those comments, and (d) student's aggreement on the main idea of the lesson
A thrombin assay based upon the release of fibrinopeptide A from fibrinogen: definition of a new thrombin unit.

Abstract An assay for thrombin is presented wherein thrombin-catalyzed hydrolysis at Arg-Aα-16 to release fibrinopeptide A (FPA) from fibrinogen is measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this assay one thrombin unit (TU) is defined as that amount of thrombin that will release half of the FPA in one min from one ml of a solution of >90% clottable normal human fibrinogen (≤0.35 μM) at 37°C, pH 7.4, F/2 0.15. One TU is equivalent to ∼ 0.1 NIH unit of thrombin and ∼ 1 pmol of pure human thrombin. At 37°C, pH 7.4, and plasma levels of fibrinogen of 3 mg/ml, one TU will catalyze the release of 3.6 nmol FPA min -1 . Variability in fibrinogen samples which produce dramatic differences in clotting time assays with the same sample of thrombin, produce little or no variation in the catalytic assay for TU. The assay for TU obviates the need for maintenance of a thrombin reference standard.
Exciton Structure and Dynamics in Solution Aggregates of a Low-Bandgap Copolymer.

In this work, we elucidate exciton structure, dynamics, and charge generation in the solution phase aggregates of a low-bandgap donor–acceptor polymer, poly(4,8-bis-alkyloxybenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(alkylthieno[3,4-b]thiophene-2carboxylate)-2,6-diyl (PBDTTT). The polymer aggregates in the solution phase serve as precursors for thin film morphologies. We have identified intrachain and interchain exciton transitions and resolved their relaxation pathways by comparing excitons in solution aggregates to those in isolated polymer chains. Hot intrachain excitons have led to the generation of stabilized interchain charge-separated states in solution aggregates, which could serve as the intermediate state to the hot exciton charge separation in bulk heterojunctions (BHJs). These results have important implications for controlling morphology dependent exciton dynamics in solution processed BHJs.
Rel A/p65 is required for cytokine-induced myotube atrophy

Muscle atrophy can be triggered by systemic illnesses that are associated with elevated proinflammatory/catabolic cytokines, which, in turn, are thought to contribute to muscle wasting. In this study, we found that the prototypical NF-κB transcription factor, Rel A (p65), is required for NF-κB activation in C2C12 and L6 myotubes due to treatment with exogenous TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis, but not IL-6. All five cytokines induced atrophy in C2C12 myotubes, and inhibition of p65 reversed atrophy due to TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis, but not IL-6 treatment. p65 was also required for TNF-α-induced increase in atrophy and inflammatory gene expression. TNF-α- and IL-1β-treated myotubes increased IL-6 protein expression, but use of an IL-6 blocking antibody showed that the IL-6 production did not contribute to atrophy. These data show that p65 is a required transcription factor mediating the catabolic effects of four different cytokines in cultured myotubes, but IL-6 works by a different mechanism.
A novel Hsp90 inhibitor to disrupt Hsp90/Cdc37 complex against pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with multiple biochemical and genetic alterations. Thus, a single agent to hit one molecular target may not be sufficient to treat this disease. The purpose of this study is to identify a novel Hsp90 inhibitor to disrupt protein-protein interactions of Hsp90 and its cochaperones for down-regulating many oncogenes simultaneously against pancreatic cancer cells. Here, we reported that celastrol disrupted Hsp90-Cdc37 interaction in the superchaperone complex to exhibit antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations showed that celastrol blocked the critical interaction of Glu33 (Hsp90) and Arg167 (Cdc37). Immunoprecipitation confirmed that celastrol (10 micromol/L) disrupted the Hsp90-Cdc37 interaction in the pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1. In contrast to classic Hsp90 inhibitor (geldanamycin), celastrol (0.1-100 micromol/L) did not interfere with ATP binding to Hsp90. However, celastrol (1-5 micromol/L) induced Hsp90 client protein degradation (Cdk4 and Akt) by 70% to 80% and increased Hsp70 expression by 12-fold. Celastrol induced apoptosis in vitro and significantly inhibited tumor growth in Panc-1 xenografts. Moreover, celastrol (3 mg/kg) effectively suppressed tumor metastasis by more than 80% in RIP1-Tag2 transgenic mouse model with pancreatic islet cell carcinogenesis. The data suggest that celastrol is a novel Hsp90 inhibitor to disrupt Hsp90-Cdc37 interaction against pancreatic cancer cells.
Gynecologic Infections in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Women

The maturation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic has now claimed more than 12 million women worldwide, the majority in undeveloped countries where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections coexist and interact synergistically. Among HIV-infected women, there is excessive morbidity due to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and gynecologic disorders. This review summarizes the expanding understanding of vaginal flora, vaginitis, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and genital ulcer disease in HIV-infected women. In addition to the altered clinical course, complications, and management difficulties of STDs, some gynecologic infections may influence HIV transmission as well as the vertical transmission of HIV to the newborn. Finally, severe immunodeficiency allows unusual opportunistic pathogens to invade the upper and lower genital tract. Control and prevention of gynecologic infections in HIV-positive and HIV-negative women are key components to preventing further HIV transmission.
Calcium-activated RAF/MEK/ERK Signaling Pathway Mediates p53-dependent Apoptosis and Is Abrogated by αB-Crystallin through Inhibition of RAS Activation

The ocular lens is the only organ that does not develop spontaneous tumor. The molecular mechanism for this phenomenon remains unknown. Through examination of the signaling pathways mediating stress-induced apoptosis, here we presented evidence to show that different from most other tissues in which the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) pathway is generally implicated in mediation of survival signals activated by different factors, the RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway alone plays a key role in stress-activated apoptosis of lens epithelial cells. Treatment of N/N1003A cells with calcimycin, a calcium mobilizer, activates the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway through RAS, which is indispensable for the induced apoptosis because inhibition of this pathway by either pharmacological drug or dominant negative mutants greatly attenuates the induced apoptosis. Calcimycin also activates p38 kinase and JNK2, which are not involved in calcium-induced apoptosis. Downstream of ERK activation, p53 is essential. Activation of RAF/MEK/ERK pathway by calcimycin leads to distinct up-regulation of p53. Moreover, overexpression of p53 enhances calcimycin-induced apoptosis, whereas inhibition of p53 expression attenuates calcimycin-induced apoptosis. Up-regulation of p53 directly promotes Bax expression, which changes the integrity of mitochondria, leading to release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3 and eventually execution of apoptosis. Overexpression of alphaB-crystallin, a member of the small heat-shock protein family, blocks activation of RAS to inhibit ERK1/2 activation, and greatly attenuates calcimycin-induced apoptosis. Together, our results provide 1) a partial explanation for the lack of spontaneous tumor in the lens, 2) a novel signaling pathway for calcium-induced apoptosis, and 3) a novel antiapoptotic mechanism for alphaB-crystallin.
Electrical and Optical Properties of n-type and p-type ZnO

In recent years, ZnO has been proposed for new electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as transparent transistors and UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The LED application will require both n-type and p-type ZnO, but the latter is difficult to produce, and progress in this area will require a detailed knowledge of the various impurities and defects that affect the electrical and optical properties. The dominant donors in as-grown ZnO are usually thought to be interstitial H and substitutional AlZn, with activation energies of about 40 and 65 meV, respectively. However, interstitial Zn and its associated complexes may also contribute free electrons. The dominant acceptor, at least in vapor-phase-grown material, is the Zn vacancy; however, substitutional NO is also present, although sometimes passivated by H. To produce p-type ZnO, it is necessary to dope with acceptor-type impurities, and some success has been achieved with N, P, As, and Sb. However, only N has been proven to have simple substitutional character (NO), and more complicated acceptor structures, such as AsZn-2VZn, have been proposed for some of the other group V elements. Both homostructural and heterostructural UV LEDs have been fabricated, although not of high luminescent power so far. The main objective of this paper is to review the Hall-effect and photoluminescence results on n-type and p-type ZnO.