cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitation of Aroclors using congener‐specific results

As analytical capabilities have increased over the last 30 years, the standard approach applied to the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has slowly shifted from technical grade approximation to component-based analyses. This practice, although improving the quality and toxicologic relevance of the resulting data, has limited the historical database as a useful comparative set for current environmental research and is divergent from existing regulatory practices. Aroclor conversion factors have been calculated for each of 14 PCB congeners (International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry [IUPAC] numbers 18, 28, 31, 99, 118, 128, 138, 149, 153, 180, 194, 195, 201, and 203), allowing quantification of PCB profiles as Aroclors 1248, 1254, and 1260 using measurements of these congeners. The three specified Aroclors are the dominant forms observed in the California marine environment. Speciation is accomplished by comparing characteristic congener ratios in the technical mixtures (31:118 for 1248 and 1254 and 118:203 for 1260) with those found in samples, providing a means for objectively minimizing biases introduced by cochromatographing Aroclor mixtures. The outlined procedure is shown to accurately detect, speciate, and quantify mixtures of multiple Aroclors. Additionally, comparing the predicted and actual concentration of PCB 153 in a sample provides a working index of weathering for these Aroclors.
Binding Specificity of Cyclic Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate- Responsive Element (CRE)-Binding Proteins and Activating Transcription Factors to Naturally Occurring CRE Sequence Variants

The human glycoprotein hormone α gene contains a palindromic cAMP-responsive element (CRE), TGACGTCA, which is critical for both basal and cAMP-stimulated expression. Members of the CREbinding protein (CREB)/activating transcription factor transcription family as well as members of the Jun/Fos family have been shown to bind to this sequence. In nonprimate species, the α gene contains a variant of the CRE sequence TGAtGTCA, which differs by a single base substitution. The functional properties of promoters containing variant CREs were examined in transient expression assays in JEG-3 cells (human placental cells) and GH3 cells (rat pituitary cells). Relative to the palindromic CRE, the basal level of expression was reduced with the variant CRE constructions. However, 8-bromo-cAMP stimulated the expression of constructions containing either the palindromic or the variant CREs. Protein interactions with the palindromic and variant CREs were also examined. By Southwestern blot analyses in which proteins were i...
Comparison of older depressed hospitalized patients with and without heart failure/pulmonary disease.

Test the hypothesis that depressed hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and/or chronic pulmonary disease (CPD) are no different from depressed patients with other medical disorders, and so can be treated similarly. Consenting patients aged 50 or over consecutively admitted to the medical services at Duke University Medical Center and three community hospitals were screened for depressive disorder using the Structured Clinical Interview for Depression (SCID-IV). Characteristics of patients reflecting vulnerability, stressors, and coping resources were assessed. CHF/CPD patients with major (n = 413) and minor (n = 587) depression were compared to depressed patients with other medical disorders (n = 63). Among those with major depression, patients with CHF/CPD differed from those with other medical disorders in having less severe depression and less severe cognitive impairment, but greater physical illness severity. Among those with minor depression, CHF/CPD patients tended to be older a...
Postoperative arrhythmias after coronary artery and cardiac valvular surgery detected by long-term electrocardiographic monitoring.

Abstract Twenty-four hour long-term electrocardiographic recordings were used to supplement routine perioperative monitoring to determine the frequency and significance of arrhythmias occurring after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and cardiac valve replacement. Patients underwent “ambulatory” electrocardiographic monitoring for 24 hours before surgery and on the first and fifth days after discharge from intensive care. New arrhythmias occurred in 26 of 50 patients (52 per cent) after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and in six of 15 patients (40 per cent) after valve replacement. This high frequency of arrhythmia detection was directly attributable to the use of long-term electrocardiography. New atrial arrhythmias were common after both valvular and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (44 per cent and 38 per cent of patients, respectively). Ventricular arrhythmias were uncommon preoperatively in both groups but occurred frequently after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (36 per cent). Arrhythmias contributed to morbidity but not to mortality in this series. These results suggest that new atrial arrhythmias occurring after coronary artery bypass graft or valvular surgery may be related more to the immediate intrathoracic sequelae of surgery than to a specific underlying cardiac lesion, in contrast to ventricular arrhythmias which may be more specific for patients with ischemia. Long-term electrocardiographic recording is a useful technique to supplement routine methods of perioperative electrocardiographic monitoring.
Glucose-alanine relationship in normal human pregnancy

In order to quantify the glucose-alanine relationship in normal human pregnancy, the turnover rates of alanine and the incorporation of alanine carbon into glucose were quantified in 15 pregnant women during the last 4 weeks of gestation following a ten-hour fast. Eight nonpregnant women of similar age group were studied as controls. L-[2,3-13C2]Alanine and D[6,6-2H2]glucose were infused as tracers. The 13C enrichment of alanine, lactate, and glucose and the deuterium enrichment of glucose were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In five pregnant and five nonpregnant women, the contribution of alanine carbon to expired CO2 directly and via glucose was estimated by combining indirect respiratory calorimetry with the tracer infusions. The alanine turnover rates in the pregnant and nonpregnant women were similar (pregnant, 4.43 +/- 0.82 mumol/kg x min; nonpregnant, 4.11 +/- 1.08 mumol/kg x min, mean +/- SD). However, the fraction of alanine incorporated into glucose was significantly lower during pregnancy (23.5 +/- 8.3% v 30.8 +/- 8.2%, P less than .04). In pregnant women, 20% of lactate pool was derived from alanine as compared with 28% in nonpregnant subjects (P less than .02). Twenty-four percent of alanine turnover was converted to CO2 in both pregnant and nonpregnant women. The plasma insulin concentration was increased significantly during pregnancy (P less than .05). These data suggest that gluconeogenesis from alanine is attenuated during pregnancy. This decrease in gluconeogenesis is not the result of decreased alanine flux, but due to intrinsic intrahepatic mechanism such as decreased deamination of alanine mediated by the predominant insulin effect or a decreased hepatic uptake of alanine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Regulation of Bank Capital: Do Capital Standards Promote Bank Safety?

Abstract We show that in an imperfect information environment the equity value of an impaired bank may increase or decrease when it is required to meet a capital standard. Regardless of the change in the bank's equity value, however, its stock price will fall in response to a forced recapitalization, consistent with recent empirical evidence. Simulations of our model suggest that this stock price decline is likely to be larger the smaller is the share of ownership held by the managers of the bank, also consistent with recent empirical evidence in the literature. Our model further predicts a rise in bank's non-interest expenses following a required recapitalization. Given the increase in the regulator's exposure that would accompany a reduction in the bank's market value of equity, the regulator may choose not to enforce the regulation. Hence, capital regulation may be time-inconsistent in this situation and consequently not have its intended risk-mitigating incentives.
Modulation of Osteopontin Post-translational State by 1,25-(OH)2-Vitamin D3: DEPENDENCE ON Ca2+ INFLUX

In osteoblastic ROS 17/2.8 cells, 1,25-(OH)2-vitamin D3 stimulates transcription of the extracellular matrix phosphoprotein osteopontin (OPN). We now show post-translational regulation of OPN production by 1,25-(OH)2D3. Prior to transcriptional up-regulation of OPN, 1, 25-(OH)2D3 induces a shift in OPN isoelectric point (pI) from 4.6 to 5.1. Loading equal amounts of OPN recovered from ROS 17/2.8 cells exposed to 1,25-(OH)2D3 or carrier for 3 h reveals that the pI shift represents reduced phosphorylation. Trypsin cleavage patterns of OPN produced after 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment indicates phosphorylation changes in the resulting peptides. Using structural analogs to 1, 25-(OH)2D3, we found that analog AT (25-(OH)-16-ene-23-yne-D3), which triggers Ca2+ influx but does not bind to the vitamin D receptor, mimicked the OPN pI shift, whereas analog BT (1, 25-(OH)2-22-ene-24-cyclopropyl-D3), which binds to the vitamin D receptor without triggering Ca2+ influx, did not. Likewise, inclusion of the Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine blocks the charge conversion of OPN. Isolation of OPN from rat femurs and tibiae demonstrates the existence of two OPN charge forms in vivo. We conclude that 1,25-(OH)2D3 regulates OPN not only at the transcriptional level, but also modulates OPN phosphorylation state. The latter involves a short term (<3 h) treatment and is associated with membrane-initiated Ca2+ influx.
Imaging of Spinal Trauma

Approximately 2% to 3% of blunt trauma victims suffer injury to the spinal column each year, often with devastating consequences. This article discusses clinical criteria for screening for spinal injury and the increasing roles of multidetector CT and MR imaging in the evaluation of spinal trauma. Both CT and MR imaging safety issues also are addressed. Lastly, the role of imaging in the evaluation of whiplash injury, instability, vascular injury, and delayed traumatic sequelae is discussed.
Resveratrol preserves myocardial function and perfusion in remote nonischemic myocardium in a swine model of metabolic syndrome.

Background Resveratrol has been shown to reverse some of the detrimental effects of metabolic syndrome (MetS). We sought to define the impact of supplemental resveratrol on normal myocardium remote from an ischemic territory in a swine model of MetS and chronic myocardial ischemia. Study Design Yorkshire swine were fed a normal diet (control), a high cholesterol diet (HCD), or a high cholesterol diet with orally supplemented resveratrol (HCD-R; 100 mg/kg/day). Four weeks after diet modification, myocardial ischemia was induced by ameroid constrictor placement. Seven weeks later, myocardial tissue from a territory remote from the ischemia was harvested. Animals in the HCD and HCD-R groups underwent functional cardiac MRI before ischemia and before sacrifice. Tissue was harvested for protein expression analysis. Results After 7 weeks of ischemia, regional left ventricular systolic function was significantly increased in HCD-R as compared with HCD animals. During ventricular pacing the HCD group had significantly decreased flow (p = 0.03); perfusion in the HCD-R was preserved as compared with the control. There was no difference in microvascular relaxation. Expression of metabolic proteins Sirt-1 (p = 0.002), AMPkinase (p = 0.02), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I (p = 0.002) were upregulated in the HCD-R group. Levels of protein oxidative stress were significantly increased in the HCD and HCD-R groups, as compared with the controls (p = 0.003). Activated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was increased in the HCD-R group (p = 0.01). There was no difference in myocardial endothelial cell density between the groups; however, dividing endothelial cells were decreased in the HCD and HCD-R groups (p = 0.006). Conclusions Resveratrol supplementation improves regional left ventricular function and preserves perfusion to myocardium remote from an area of ischemia in an animal model of metabolic syndrome and chronic myocardial ischemia.
Neutron Rietveld refinement of the structure of the ternary silicide Ti4Ni4Si7

The structure of Ti4Ni4Si7 is studied using powder neutron diffraction and Rietveld analysis. Prccise determination of the crystalline parameters, atomic positions, and temperature factors is achieved. A criterion previously elaborated for the phase TiFeSi2 is used to determine the coordination number. From the arrangement of the atoms in the unit cell and their interbond distances, we find that Si atoms are nearest neighbors to Ti and Ni. An extension of the same criterion shows that Ti–Ni and Ni–Si hybridization is likely to be strong while Ti–Ni hybridization is weak. A comparison with mono- and disilicides is made.
Chronic Pain in the Cancer Survivor: A New Frontier

Objective. This monograph is intended to clarify the clinical problem of chronic pain in cancer patients. Design. A pertinent literature review on chronic pain syndromes in cancer patients was undertaken using Medline. Further, the treatment strategies for cancer versus chronic pain are contrasted and clarified. Results. With increasing cancer survivorship come new challenges in patient care. In the United States, the cancer-related death rate has dropped by 1.1% per year from 1993–2002. Seventy-five percent of children and two out of three adults will survive cancer, whereas 50 years ago just one out of four survived. The net effect of these trends and opportunities is a large and rapidly growing population of persons living longer with cancer and/or as cancer survivors. While agreement exists on the best strategies for assessment and treatment of most acute cancer pain syndromes, little consensus exists on the treatment of chronic pain in the patient with slowly progressive cancer or the cancer survivor. Conclusions. The landscape of “cancer pain” is shifting quickly into a chronic pain situation in many instances, thereby blurring previous lines of distinction in treatment strategies most suited for “chronic” versus “malignant” pain. Adopting chronic pain treatment strategies including pharmacologic and other pain control techniques, rehabilitation care, and psychological coping strategies may lead to optimal outcomes. Lastly, as cancer evolves into a chronic illness, with co-morbid conditions, recurrent cancer, and treatment toxicities from repeated antineoplastic therapies, pain management challenges in the oncologic patient continue to increase in complexity.
In Situ Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging Detection of DNA Hybridization to Oligonucleotide Arrays on Gold Surfaces

A new method for constructing oligonucleotide arrays on gold surfaces has been developed, and these arrays have been used in DNA hybridization experiments with in situ surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging detection. The detection technique was able to differentiate between single- and double-stranded DNA regions on the gold surface. The hybridization of both oligonucleotides and PCR-amplified DNA fragments was detectable, with the latter exhibiting slower hybridization kinetics. Temperature control of the in situ SPR cell was used to discriminate between perfectly matched duplexes and single-base-mismatched duplexes. The SPR detection technique requires no label on the DNA, but fluorescently labeled targets were also tested and detected by fluorescence imaging as an independent verification of the hybridization behavior of these DNA arrays. The in situ SPR imaging method for detection of DNA hybridization is expected to complement other existing methods for study of DNA interactions and might find futu...
Food search demand effort effects on behavior and cortisol in adult female squirrel monkeys

Laboratory-born, group-housed, ovariectomized adult female squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were exposed to feeding conditions in which the availability and accessibility of food were altered. Both high- and variable-demand feeding conditions were utilized. The variable-demand condition required alternating periods of high effort (120% of normal daily intake presented) and low effort (600% of normal daily intake presented) to obtain food for 10–12 weeks. An additional group was exposed solely to the high-demand condition for 10 weeks. Blood samples were obtained weekly, and behavioral observations were conducted daily. In the variable-demand condition, plasma cortisol was elevated above baseline during the periods of high effort. For the constant high-demand group, cortisol was elevated for the duration of the experimental treatment. Contact with other animals, as well as a species-specific inactive posture, decreased as a result of exposure to high demand. Maintenance of body weight indicated that nutritional deprivation did not occur. The imposition of increased food-seeking efforts provides an ecologically relevant and noninvasive method of producing chronic stress in the squirrel monkey.
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) blends for permeability barrier applications

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) offers good properties as a material of choice for various packaging, electronic, and other applications. In these applications in general, the PET articles achieve improved toughness and other physical properties through molecular orientation resulting from stretching at temperatures slightly above its Tg. Without such orientation, these articles suffer from poor impact toughness. We have been investigating modifications of PET for improving toughness and retaining the permeability properties. PET having intrinsic viscosities of 0.5 to 0.7 have been modified with low modulus polymers, particularly ethylene copolymers such as ethylene-methacrylic acid (EMAA) copolymers. The effect of crystallinity on toughness was determined. The crystallinity was established by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) techniques. Many of these modified PET compositions have good toughness and permeability barrier properties for various packaging and other controlled permeability applications such as containers and films.
Comparison of jet size in νp interactions with that in e+e− annihilation

Abstract Using new ν p charged-current data from the Fermilab 15 foot hydrogen bubble chamber, some properties of the ν -induced hadronic jets are studied. The angular size of the jets is measured and compared with results from e+e− annihilation. The jets in the two processes are found to be quite similar in terms of the variables sphericity, thrust, and energy flow.
Multi-Wavelength Raman Imaging Using a Small-Diameter Image Guide with a Dimension-Reduction Imaging Array

A commercially available fiber-optic Raman probe was modified for high-resolution spectral Raman imaging using a 350 μm diameter optical fiber image guide coupled to a dimension-reduction imaging array (DRIA). The DRIA comprised 672 optical fibers, arranged as a square array (21 × 32 fibers) on one end and a linear array (672 × 1 fibers) on the other. An imaging spectrograph was used with the DRIA to acquire multi-wavelength Raman images from -250 to 1800 cm-1 at a spectral resolution of ~5 cm-1. The utility of this technique for in situ and remote Raman imaging is demonstrated by monitoring the polymerization of a model polymer, dibromostyrene (DBS), while simultaneously measuring the Raman Stokes/anti-Stokes ratio as a function of sample heating time, over a sample area of ~4 × 1.6 mm.
Permian of Central and Northern New Mexico: ABSTRACT

Formations in ascending order above an unnamed basal Wolfcamp formation are the Abo, Yeso, Glorieta, and San Andres. Relations across the state are shown by three cross sections. The Abo consists of red and brown thin-bedded shales and medium-bedded sandstones, with arkoses; it shows ripple marks, mud cracks, salt casts, cross-bedding, tracks and remains of vertebrates, and plant impressions; it is non-marine. The thickness is about 650 feet near Socorro and increases to 900 or 1,000 feet near Alamogordo. The Yeso consists of gypsum, pink and light-colored silts and sands, and limestones. Limestone increases from less than 6 per cent in the Zuni Mountains to more than 25 per cent in the Sacramento Mountains. Some of the members can be traced for scores of miles. The formation is mainly marine in origin. The thickness is about 620 feet at the type locality near Socorro and increases to more than 1,100 feet near Alamogordo. The Glorieta is a clean light-colored heavy-bedded medium-grained resistant sandstone 135 feet thick at Rowe on Glorieta Mesa. It is about 70 feet thick east of Socorro End_Page 907------------------------------ and thins to a feather edge in the San Andres and Sacramento mountains. It is probably marine in origin. The San Andres is gray to pale-buff medium- to heavy-bedded limestone about 350 feet thick at the type locality in Rhodes Canyon. It thins to 20 feet on Glorieta Mesa and disappears north; its relations to the overlying Permian southeast are not well understood. A sand zone in the lower part is traceable from the Zuni Mountains to Hondo Canyon 225 miles southeast. At the north the San Andres is overlain by pink silts and sands of unknown age. End_of_Article - Last_Page 908------------
Acute nephropathy induced by gold sodium thiomalate: Alterations in renal heme metabolism and morphology

Gold compounds are used clinically in rheumatoid arthritis therapy. Acute renal toxicity is observed in some patients receiving chrysotherapy. The present study addresses morphofunctional and biochemical changes in rat kidneys during the first 8 days following a single ip injection of gold sodium thiomalate (AuTM), one of the gold compounds presently in clinical use. Compared to controls, AuTM pretreatment resulted in increased urine output and elevated serum creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations. Also, by Day 8, treated rats had decreased body weights and increased kidney weights. Postmortem examination on Day 1 showed pale and mottled kidneys and diffusely pale inner cortex. Microscopically, there was severe coagulative necrosis of the proximal tubular epithelium. Epithelial regeneration was prominent by Day 4 and was nearly complete by Day 8. The regenerating epithelium was hyperplastic with basophilic cytoplasm and pleomorphic nuclei. Alterations in renal heme biosynthesis and drug metabolism paralleled the morphologic changes. The activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase and benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase were inhibited on Days 1, 2, and 4 following AuTM administration. Decreases in monooxygenase activity were accompanied by decreases in renal cytochrome P-450 levels. In contrast, renal microsomal heme oxygenase activity was elevated 9.5-fold on Day 1 and 2.5-fold on Day 2. By Day 8, all renal enzymatic activities assayed for were similar to those obtained with untreated rats.
The role of phosphorylation in the uptake of thymidine in mammalian cells.

Thymidine uptake into the acid-soluble fraction of several hamster cell lines differing in levels of thymidine kinase was examined. Uptake is correlated directly with the level of this enzyme, a kinase-deficient line showing the lowest uptake rate. At low extracellular concentrations the major portion of the uptake that occurs is related to phosphorylation, while at higher levels passive diffusion plays a proportionally greater role. This pattern holds for all cells tested except the kinase-deficient line, which shows no evidence of a phosphorylation-related process. By contrast, urindine uptake shows both a regulated and a passive process in all lines tested. The controlled uptake of these two compounds correlates with the ability of the cell to phosphorylate each nucleoside. The results suggest that phosphorylation may act as a regulating factor for pyrimidine nucleoside uptake across the cell membrane.
Predator-prey relationships and trophic level reconstruction in a fossil fish community

All living species occupy an ecological niche, and are positioned within a trophic hierarchy. Extinct organisms presumably held similar behavioral and coevolutionary characteristics in the past, and were susceptible to the same kinds of natural ecological pressures operating today. Paleoecological investigations are limited by the incompleteness of the fossil record, and particularly by a lack of behavioral data that are so fundamental to ecological studies of living communities and habitats. Opportunities to examine the coevolutionary structure of ancient communities from empirical data are extremely rare. One such opportunity is provided by the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation of north-eastern Brazil, a series of richly fossiliferous strata approximately 110 million years old. Many fossil fishes from the Santana Formation contain identifiable prey, including decapod crustaceans and fishes. A trophic hierarchy of these organisms is reconstructed here, and their ecological relationships are discussed. Comparison is made with a similar fish fauna from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone of Germany. Low-level, intermediate and high-level predators are identified in each fauna. Predator-prey relationships in the Santana fauna are strongly hierarchical, and are more focussed at the intermediate predator level than in Solnhofen. Comparison with a model of predator-prey relationships between fishes and benthic fauna of the Baltic Sea (which like the Araripe Basin represents a semi-enclosed environment) suggests that heavy predation on teleosts such asRhacolepis, occupying an intermediate trophic level, may have permitted benthic decapods to proliferate and exclude other benthic organisms. Less intense predation on fishes at the intermediate trophic level would allow their numbers to increase, thereby increasing the intensity of predation on the benthos at the base of the trophic hierarchy.
A Comparison Of Projection Techniques For Image Restoration

In this paper we examine the use of projection techniques for image restoration. All the methods are shown to be specific examples of the method of projection onto convex sets (POCS). The projection techniques that commonly project only onto linear subspaces are generalized to include projections onto nonlinear subspaces. A new technique based on POCS is described and shown to yield better restoration results than the other projection techniques.
1592 FUNCTION OF RENAL DOPAMINE-2 RECEPTORS

We have previously reported presence of dopamine-2 receptors (D2R) in canine intrarenal arteries (IRA) using radioligand binding. To determine the consequences of D2R occupancy we measured the effect of intrarenal infusion of the D2 agonist LY171555 (LY) (10−9 to 10−6M) on renal blood flow (RBF, ml/gm/min), renal vascular resistance (RVR, units) and mean arterial pressure (MAP, mm Hg) during α and β adrenergic blockade. Group I(n=8) =dogs whose MAP was decreased by LY (10−7M) and Group II(n=6)had Δ MAP<10%). Adenylate cyclase (AC) linkage of D2R occupancy was determined by examining the effects of 10minus;4M forskolin(F) and the D agonists bromocryptine, 10−5M(B), LY 10−4M and (-)-apomorphine, 10−4M(A)on basal or F stimulated AC activity (pmol/mg protein/rain) in main renal artery (MRA) and IRA homogenates. Conclusion: Occupation of renal vascular D2R is associated with increase in RBF without any effect on basal or F stimulated AC. (*p<.05 drug vs. basal, paired t test).
Androgyny, Gender Role Behavior, and Emotional Intelligence Among College Students and Their Parents

Androgyny, gender role behavior, and emotional intelligence were measured in 576 students and their parents to examine the extent to which these variables exhibited generational effects or consistencies within families. Chi-square analyses indicated that sons were more androgynous in personality than their fathers, but that there was no significant difference in androgyny between daughters and mothers. The men also showed an increase in androgynous behavior across generations, whereas the women showed an increase in masculine gender-typed behavior and a decrease in feminine gender-typed behavior. ANOVA revealed that fathers scored significantly lower on emotional intelligence than mothers and students. Significant correlations on emotional intelligence for mothers and their respective students indicated a strong influence on this construct; no such relationship was found between students and fathers. The strongest correlations in masculine and feminine personality and behavior were obtained for mothers and daughters. It was also hypothesized that androgyny would predict higher emotional intelligence; multiple regression supported this hypothesis for students, mothers, and fathers.
Doppler hemodynamic evaluation of prosthetic (Starr-Edwards and Björk-Shiley) and bioprosthetic (Hancock and Carpentier-Edwards) cardiac valves.

Abstract One hundred thirty-four patients with prosthetic or bioprosthetic heart valves were investigated with Doppler echocardiography to determine normal values for commonly used prosthetic valves and to test the specificity of abnormal Doppler findings. In 70 patients the aortic valves had been replaced and in 64 the mitral valves had been replaced. Gradients across prostheses in the aortic position were calculated from maximal velocity. Peak calculated aortic transvalvular gradients in normal subjects were 22 ± 10 mm Hg in 33 Bjork-Shiley valves, 23 ± 10 mm Hg in 27 porcine valves and 29 ± 13 mm Hg in 6 Starr-Edwards valves. Mild aortic regurgitation was seen in 42% of Bjork-Shiley valves, 26% of porcine valves and 2 of 6 Starr-Edwards valves. Mitral valve orifice was calculated by the pressure half-time method. In clinically normal patients with mitral valve prostheses, the effective mitral valve orifice was 2.5 ± 0.8 cm 2 in 35 Bjork-Shiley valves, 2.1 ± 0.7 cm 2 in 17 porcine valves, and 2.0 ± 0.3 cm 2 in 10 Starr-Edwards valves. Mitral regurgitation was found in 11% of Bjork-Shiley valves, 19% of porcine valves and 30% of Starr-Edwards valves. Repeat studies at 2 weeks to 14 months revealed no difference in 8 aortic and 14 mitral prostheses. Seven aortic and 4 mitral valves functioned abnormally as determined by Doppler, and the abnormal function was confirmed in each at surgery or at cardiac catheterization. Hemodynamic measurements by Doppler provide noninvasive information similar to that provided by cardiac catheterization that is reproducible and specific for valve dysfunction. Doppler echocardiography is a valuable adjunct to the noninvasive assessment of prosthetic and bioprosthetic heart valves.
Strengthening the integration of actuarial risk assessment with clinical judgment in an evidence based practice framework

Abstract Traditional discussions of actuarial risk assessment utility in child welfare and juvenile justice emphasizes its comparative predictive validity with clinical methods of prediction. While important, it ignores how actuarial risk assessment instruments actually influences the clinical deliberations of their users. Recent literature extends the discussion of their clinical utility by invoking evidence based practice principles. Implicit in this discussion is a traditional model of structured decision making, common in child welfare and juvenile justice agencies, whereby actuarial risk assessment is supplemented with contextual needs assessment. This article critiques the traditional model of structured decision making and argues that its limitations are inconsistent with the spirit of evidence based practice. Instead, a revised model of structured decision making, grounded in research on risk and resilience, promises a more complete integration with evidence based practice.
The significance of panic-expectancy for individual patterns of avoidance

The goal of this study was to examine the role of panic-expectancy in patterns of avoidance. Twenty-eight individuals with Panic Disorder with moderate to severe avoidance underwent individualized behavioral testing. Dependent variables were assessed immediately prior to attempting the behavioral test item. They included, in addition to actual levels of reported fear and avoidance, predicted probability of panic, predicted intensity, discomfort and harm from the physical sensations of panic, predicted negtive consequences of panicking, and predicted level of fear tolerance. Number of months since last attempt to approach the behavioral test item was also recorded. The probability of panic and fear tolerance levels were related significantly to avoidance across individuals. The predicted probability of panic was the variable of most significance for within individual patterns of avoidance, although ratings of the physical symptoms of panic and fear tolerance levels related to some extent. Correlational coefficients suggested that the predicted probability of panic was situationally specific in comparison to the relative stability of predictions relating to negative consequences of panicking. Treatment implications are considered.
Gigaspora gigantea: parasitism of spores by fungi and actinomycetes

Fungi and actinomycetes were isolated monthly for one year from spores of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Gigaspora gigantea recovered from a maritime sand dune. Spores in four different stages of vigour (newly formed, greenish-yellow healthy; yellow, moribund, mottled with brown spots; brown; and dead, blackened and collapsed) were used for isolation. From 272 isolates cultured from crushed, surface-disinfected G. gigantea spores, 44 species of fungi and six actinomycete species were recovered. The five most frequently isolated organisms were Acremonium sp., Chrysosporium parvum, Exophiala werneckii, Trichoderma sp. and Verticillium sp. The species lists derived from the four spore types differed significantly. Thirty-one of the isolated species were tested for their ability to parasitise healthy G. gigantea spores and to invade spores killed by a hot water treatment. Twenty-two species could function as pathogens, forming internal projections (IP), fine radial canals (FRC) or both in the spore wall. IP were induced by Acremonium sp., Chrysosporium parvum, Cladosporium sp., Geomyces pannorum, Oidiodendron sp., Sporothrix sp., Verticillium sp. and by the actinomycetes Nocardia sp. and Streptomyces sp. The IP length was positively correlated with duration of exposure to the parasites. In the bioassay, both IP and FRC were formed by live spores, while heat-killed spores possessed only FRC after penetration by the test microorganisms. Pathogenicity differed among the parasites and was greatest for Verticillium and Acremonium .
α-Tocopherol and ubiquinones in rat brain subjected to decapitation ischemia

Abstract Levels of α-tocopherol (α-Toc), reduced ubiquinones (QH2) and oxidized ubiquinones (Q) were assayed in rat forebrain subjected to decapitation ischemia. Post-decapitation levels of α-Toc decreased by 16% at 3 min and 20% at 15 min. Increases in Q9H2 (83%) and in Q10H2 (107%) were observed immediately following decapitation; thereafter their levels began to decrease and approached to the pre-ischemic values at 15 min. In contrast, Q9 and Q10 tended to increase continuously during ischemia. The data indicate that complete ischemia results in distinct changes in the recebral content of lipid-soluble antioxidants. The decrease of α-Toc may make the brain prone to peroxidative attack when cerebral tissue is subsequently reoxygenated.
TP53 Mutations and Lung Cancer: Not All Mutations Are Created Equal

Mutations in TP53 are common in non-small cell lung cancer. Apart from the loss of tumor-suppressor functions, TP53 mutations may result in gain of function favoring cellular proliferation, inhibition of apoptosis, and genomic instability. Some TP53 mutations are more likely to affect the course of the disease than others.
The syndrome of hyperlexia

Abstract Recent research on hyperlexic children is reviewed and criticized. A case study of a mute hyperlexic girl is presented, along with comments on the implications of this case for theories of hyperlexia. The hypothesis is put forth that hyperlexia in children suggests the existence of an innate written language capacity. The implications of this hypothesis for linguistic theory are discussed.
Theoretical study of the vibrational circular dichroism of 1,3-dideuterioallene: comparison of methods

Comparaison des methodes de la charge partielle fixe, des orbitales moleculaires localisees, du tenseur polaire atomique et a priori de Stephens, les deux dernieres methodes etant utilisees pour des calculs ab initio SCF
Single-Stage Approximations for Optimal Policies in Serial Inventory Systems with Nonstationary Demand

Companies often face nonstationary demand due to product life cycles and seasonality, and nonstationary demand complicates supply chain managers' inventory decisions. This paper proposes a simple heuristic for determining stocking levels in a serial inventory system. Unlike the exact optimization algorithm, the heuristic generates a near-optimal solution by solving a series of independent single-stage systems. The heuristic is constructed based on three results we derive. First, we provide a new cost decomposition scheme based on echelon systems. Next, we show that the optimal base-stock level for each echelon system is bounded by those of two revised echelon systems. Last, we prove that the revised echelon systems are essentially equivalent to single-stage systems. We examine the myopic solution for these single-stage systems. In a numerical study, we find that the change of direction of the myopic solution is consistent with that of the optimal solution when system parameters vary. We then derive an analytical expression for the myopic solution and use it to gain insights into how to manage inventory. The analytical expression shows how future demand affects the current optimal local base-stock level; it also explains an observation that the safety stock at an upstream stage is often stable and may not increase when the demand variability increases over time. Finally, we discuss how the heuristic leads to a time-consistent coordination scheme that enables a decentralized supply chain to achieve the heuristic solution.
Recent developments in the psychotherapy of depression.

Abstract The effectiveness of several types of psychotherapy for ambulatory, nonpsychotic depressed patients has been demonstrated in controlled clinical studies. Psychotherapy combined with antidepressant drug treatment appears to be the most effective form of treatment for most outpatients with major depression, although either treatment alone can be effective for patients who will not accept both. There is no evidence for negative interactions between psychotherapy and drug treatment. Interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, and intensive psychodynamic cognitive therapy are types of individual psychotherapy that appear to have particular relevance for depression.
Characterization of a fourth streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (SPE D)

A fourth streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (SPE D) was isolated from a pathogenic strain of group A streptococci cultured from a patient with a fatal case of streptococcal fasciitis associated with hypocalcemia and ‘toxic’ syndrome. SPE D was partially purified by differential solubility in ethanol and acetate-buffered saline and thin-layer isoelectric focusing. SPE D was antigenically distinct from the other streptococcal exotoxins SPE A, SPE B and SPE C. The isoelectric point of this exotoxin (4.6) was lower than those of the other SPEs. The Mr was estimated to be 13 000, and the biological activities were similar to the other exotoxins. SPE D reacted synergistically with SPE C (also present in this strain of streptococcus) to enhance the lethal effect of endotoxin in rabbits. The role of SPEs in the pathogenicity of this organism is discussed.
Infant memory for object motion across a period of three months: Implications for a four-phase attention function.

Memory for object motion in 3-month-old infants was investigated across retention intervals of 1 or 3 months in three studies using a novelty preference method. Following familiarization to an object undergoing one of two types of motion, visual preferences for the novel motion were assessed after retention intervals of 1 min, 1 day, and 1 month (Experiment 1, N = 120) and 1 min, 1 day, 2 weeks, and 1 month (Experiment 2, N = 74). Results of both studies indicated a significant preference for the novel motion at the 1-min delay, a significant preference for the familiar motion at the 1-month delay, and no preferences at the intermediate retention intervals. In Experiment 3, memory was assessed after a 3-month interval and again, a significant familiarity preference was obtained. These results demonstrate that memory for object motion lasts across retention intervals of 1 and 3 months and that novelty and familiarity preferences interact with retention time. A four-phase function relating visual preferences and retention time was proposed. Phase 1, recent memory, is characterized by a novelty preference; phase 2, intermediate memory, is a period of transition characterized by no visual preference; phase 3, remote memory, is characterized by a familiarity preference; and phase 4, inaccessible memory, is also characterized by no preference. The finding of a transition period at intermediate retention times suggests that null preferences should not necessarily be taken as evidence of forgetting. Rather, more extended retention intervals should be included to interpret null findings obtained in the novelty preference method.
Joint multipath-Doppler diversity in mobile wireless communications

We introduce a new approach for achieving diversity in spread-spectrum communications over fast-fading multipath channels. The RAKE receiver used in existing systems suffers from significant performance degradation due to the rapid channel variations encountered under fast fading. We show that the Doppler spread induced by temporal channel variations in fact provides another means for diversity that can be further exploited to combat fading. We develop the concept of Doppler diversity and propose a framework that exploits joint multipath-Doppler diversity in an optimal fashion. Performance analysis shows that even the relatively small Doppler spreads encountered in practice can be leveraged into significant diversity gains via our approach. The framework is applicable in several mobile wireless multiple access systems and can provide substantial performance improvement over existing systems.
Real-time communication and coordination in embedded sensor networks

Sensor networks can be considered distributed computing platforms with many severe constraints, including limited CPU speed, memory size, power, and bandwidth. Individual nodes in sensor networks are typically unreliable and the network topology dynamically changes, possibly frequently. Sensor networks also differ because of their tight interaction with the physical environment via sensors and actuators. Because of this interaction, we find that sensor networks are very data-centric. Due to all of these differences, many solutions developed for general distributed computing platforms and for ad-hoc networks cannot be applied to sensor networks. After discussing several motivating applications, this paper first discusses the state of the art with respect to general research challenges, then focuses on more specific research challenges that appear in the networking, operating system, and middleware layers. For some of the research challenges, initial solutions or approaches are identified.
South Asians In East Africa: An Economic And Social History, 1890-1980

Part 1 The primary occupations: commerce money lending, insurance and the extension of credit road transport crafts and construction clerical service. Part 2 The secondary occupations: law, medicine and teaching agriculture industry. Part 3 The exportation of savings and profits: foreign and local employment of money.
Evidence for polarizing zone in the limb buds of Xenopus laevis.

Abstract To test for the presence of polarizing mesoderm in an amphibian, Xenopus laevis hindlimb bud tips were rotated 180° on the proximodistal axis and returned to the stump. Supernumerary outgrowths were induced in the preaxial stump and preaxial tip tissues, and the most postaxial digit always formed next to the grafted postaxial tissue. The occurrence of polarized supernumerary outgrowths indicated that the posterior limb border contained a polarizing zone. When the limb tip was cut at varying known lengths from the body wall, rotated, and grafted to the limb stump, the incidence of twinning along the proximodistal axis permitted insight into the distribution of the polarizing zone along the posterior border. The location of polarizing tissues was found to be similar to that in the chick wing bud at comparable stages. To confirm the posterior border stump influence on the rotated preaxial limb tip tissues, 180° tip rotations were made at the proximodistal level with the highest incidence of twinning. In these cases, the adjacent stump posterior border tissues (polarizing zone) were removed, leaving a substantial amount of the deeper postaxial stump tissue, however. The frequency of twinning from tip tissues was greatly reduced in these larvae compared to those with rotated limb tips on intact stumps. Cytological examination of supernumerary outgrowths resulting from grafts of two-nucleolate tips onto one-nucleolate stumps confirmed the preaxial source of the supernumerary outgrowths.
Transgenic expression of fern Pteris vittata glutaredoxin PvGrx5 in Arabidopsis thaliana increases plant tolerance to high temperature stress and reduces oxidative damage to proteins

A glutaredoxin of the fern Pteris vittata PvGRX5 was previously implicated in arsenic tolerance. Because of possible involvements of glutaredoxins in metabolic adaptations to high temperature stress, transgenic Arabidopsis lines constitutively expressing PvGRX5 were evaluated for thermotolerance. Homozygous lines expressing PvGRX5 exhibited significantly greater tolerance to high temperature stress than the vector control and wild-type, based upon growth during stress and during recovery from stress, and this was related to leaf glutaredoxin specific activities. Measurements of tissue ion leakage, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and protein carbonyl content showed that PvGRX5-expressors were significantly (P < 0.05) less affected by the high temperature treatment compared to wild-type and vector control lines for damage to membranes and proteins. Immunoblots indicated that specific protein bands, carbonylated during the stress treatment in the control lines, were protected in PvGRX5-expressors, thus implicating PvGRX5 in heat tolerance, likely mediated through cellular protection against oxidative stress.
Relationships between narrative and syntactic competencies in school-aged, hearing-impaired children

School-aged, hearing-impaired children's propensity for incorporating complex syntax into the narratives and conversations they produced was investigated. Language samples containing both conversations and narratives in the form of story retellings were collected from seven subjects with moderate-to-severe hearing losses. Both portions of the samples were analyzed for a set of basic and complex syntax features discussed in the developmental literature. In addition, the narrative portions of the samples were analyzed for the subjects' use of the components of story grammar, appropriate use of cohesion, and episode integrity.