cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thematic review series: The Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis. An interpretive history of the cholesterol controversy, part IV: The 1984 Coronary Primary Prevention Trial ends it—almost

As of the early 1980s, despite the wealth of evidence from experimental animal models, the extensive epidemiologic evidence, the powerful genetic evidence, and the strongly suggestive clinical intervention trial results, most clinicians still remained unpersuaded regarding the relevance of the lipid hypothesis. What was needed was a well-designed, large-scale, long-term, double-blind study demonstrating a statistically significant impact of treatment on coronary heart disease events. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) had laid the groundwork for such a study as early as 1970, but the study was not completed and the results published until 1984. This study, the Coronary Primary Prevention Trial, showed that treatment with a bile acid binding resin reduced major coronary events in hypercholesterolemic men by 19%, with a P value of 0.05. The NIH followed this up with a national Consensus Development Conference on Lowering Blood Cholesterol to Prevent Heart Disease. For the first time, the NIH now went on record advocating screening for hypercholesterolemia and urging aggressive treatment for those at high risk. The Institute initiated a national cooperative program to that end, the National Cholesterol Education Program. For the first time, preventing coronary heart disease became a national public health goal.
The role of charge-transfer complex formation in the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by aromatic carbamates

Abstract Twelve out of 14 aromatic carbamates produced charge-transfer complexes with tetracyanoethylene. Association constants of charge-transfer complexes (K) of different aromatic methyl- and dimethylcarbamates with TCNE were measured. The K values were correlated with the ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, and a role of the aromatic portion in complex formation, as a component of acetylcholinesterase inhibition, was proposed.
From Paperboy to Entrepreneur to University President?Choosing Challenge over Comfort

When asked to write an article about entrepreneurship for engineering students, I thought for a long time about what would be the best advice could give in such a short space. Looking back at my personal experience with two startup companies and interactions with engineering students while a University of Kentucky (UK) professor of electrical engineering, and later as president of UK, I decided that the best thing to do would be to explain to you that you can also be an entrepreneur.
Operative mortality and frequency of coexistent anomalies in interruption of the aortic arch

Operative mortality for 262 infants with interruption of the aortic arch repaired from 1982 to June 1993 has remained constant at about 35%. Major coexistent cardiac malformations, type B interruption, or staged repair are risk factors for mortality.
Spectroscopic ellipsometry: metrology for photovoltaics from the nanoscale to gigawatts

ABSTRACT Non-destructive, non-invasive measurement and monitoring tools, such as spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), are needed at all scales of thin film photovoltaic (PV) technology development  from the nanometer scale that describes the electronic and physical structure of materials fabricated in research laboratories to the gigawatt scale that requires the large-area uniformity of materials made in mass production. In the research laboratory, real time SE during materials fabrication has provided insights into the structural and electronic property evolution, and dielectric functions of the thin films. Here we will present such results for the growth of th in film PV materials of vari ous compositions and properties, including those used in the demanding I-III-VI 2 solar cell technology. In the PV manufacturing plant, mapping SE can be used to evaluate the uniformity of thickness and properties of the layers in full scale PV panels and even in completed modules. Here we will present representative results for the uniformity of CdS, the window layer in CdTe PV technology, which reached 1.4 GW annual production in 2010.
THE EFFECT OF AGE ON BONE MATURATION IN GROWTH HORMONE (GH) TREATED BOYS

GROWTH ACCELERATION DURING GH THERAPY IS ACCOMPANIED BY ACCELERATION OF BONE AGE (BA). IN THIS STUDY WE COMPARED THE EFFECT OF GH THERAPY ON BONE MATURATION OF CHILDREN WITH CLASSICAL GH DEFICIENCY (GHD), MAX STIMULATED GH (GH-MAX) 10 mcg/L n=24 (SS GROUP). FORTY FOUR BOYS, 4.2-16 YRS, GROWTH RATE 12 YEARS OF AGE WAS DONE SEPARATELY. (7 GHD, 10 SS). THE CHANGE IN CA-BA OVER THE YEARS WAS ANALYZED. IN BOYS <12 YRS THERE WAS NO DECREASE IN CA-BA DURING THE FIRST TREATMENT YEAR WITH A DECLINE OF 0.7±0.1 AND 0.9±0.1 YEARLY (IN GH AND SS GROUPS RESPECTIVELY) WHILE IN THE OLDER GROUPS THE DECLINE WAS 1.2±0.1 AND 1.4±0.1 YEARLY. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE YOUNG AND OLD GROUPS WAS SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.01 LEVEL. THE DECLINE IN THE CA-BA IS IMPORTANT SINCE IT REDUCES PREDICTED FINAL HEIGHT. WE CONCLUDE THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE EFFECT OF GH THERAPY ON BA MATURATION OF THE GHD AND SS GROUPS.
Asymmetric responses in economic models

Abstract Prior research on asymmetric responses in economic models has focussed on estimating the magnitude and direction of the asymmetry with real data. In this paper, we use artificial data and a discrete formula to calculate the marginal responses and predictions regarding the dependent variable, overtime, by existing asymmetric response models. We find that all the models examined here have peculiarities, such as discontinuities in marginal responses and counterintuitive predictions, which are not generally observed in economic behavior in the real world. This paper provides insights as to what properties would be useful in an asymmetric response model to make them relevant for policy analysis.
Teaching ethics cases: a pragmatic approach

A new framework-based approach to teaching and analyzing business ethics cases is set out. Using the framework, students are encouraged to adopt two different perspectives: business as usual and a more obviously moral point of view. Subsequently, they are prompted to craft a synthesis or compromise. Several pedagogical benefits flow from adopting the approach, including the cultivation of moral tolerance and improvements in the structure and scope of written action justifications. In addition, the framework enables students to relate ethical theories to the cases in a systematic way, thereby addressing a long-standing concern of business ethics educators.
The polyphonic film

In music, polyphony is the arrangement of multiple and heterogeneous voices which, though simultaneous, remain independent of one another. The most compelling analysis of polyphony as it relates to narrative form comes from Mikhail Bakhtin, for whom the polyphonic novel was perfected by Dostoevsky. This musical analogy is not only extraordinarily rich but, given the increasing number of films receiving critical acclaim for their multi‐plot structure, useful and relevant. The polyphonic film, however, does more than depict simultaneous events and assemble multiple plots. Unlike the critically acclaimed multi‐plot films Babel (dir. Inarritu, 2006), Syriana (dir. Gaghan, 2004), and Traffic (dir. Soderbergh, 2000), Magnolia (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999) achieves true cinematographic polyphony by depicting simultaneity without unity, multiplicity without completeness.
Comparative cytotoxicity of cadmium and mercury in a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) and its role in oxidative stress and induction of heat shock protein 70.

A number of toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg), are widely used in occupational settings, and exposure to these metals is associated with the development of pulmonary diseases. Cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were tested to compare the biological reactivity of these two heavy metals using a human bronchial epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B. Further, heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression was observed as a sensitive indicator of cellular stress. Exposure to metals (0–50 μM) for 72 h showed more significant cytotoxicity in Cd-treated than Hg-treated cells. Apoptosis was significantly increased in the cells exposed to 50 μM of Cd (3.5-fold) and Hg (3.6-fold). Cd and Hg produced an induction of Hsp70 protein as assayed by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Induction of Hsp70 protein by these metals was inhibited by addition of N-acetylcysteine. However, addition of catalase blocked the synthesis of Hsp70 only in Hg-treated...
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy

Long-term extracranial shunting for hydrocephalus has numerous drawbacks related to shunt malfunction and infection. In some cases outcome has been very disappointing. We successfully managed 5 patients with acquired aqueductal stenoses with no significant morbidity by the use of an intracranial cerebrospinal fluid diversion, namely a third ventriculostomy. First advocated by Dandy, ventriculostomy was largely passed over in favor of extracranial procedures. With improved surgical techniques, however, ventriculostomy is now considered to be a viable alternative in selected cases. In a further 19 patients, we subsequently broadened our patient selection to include those with Arnold-Chiari malformations, congenital noncommunicating hydrocephalus, and tumors. Two thirds of these children remain without shunts and apart from 1 child developing hemiplegia postoperatively, there has been no significant morbidity. Although the best results have been seen in the late onset groups, even early onset, noncommunicating hydrocephalus has been successfully managed. Even in patients in whom third ventriculostomy has failed and who have subsequently required ventriculoperitoneal shunts, we anticipate that they will remain less dependent on shunts because their hydrocephalus is now communicating, which tends not to have such a rapid onset or extreme levels of raised intracranial pressure.
Pyrophosphate-Dependent Phosphofructokinase from Giardia lamblia: Purification and Characterization

The pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.90) from Giardia lamblia has been purified to homogeneity using two methods. The purified enzyme is shown to be homogenous by its migration as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and a single peak on reverse-phase HPLC. The purified enzyme is a monomeric protein of Mr 64 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and native PAGE. The enzyme fractionated as a 67-kDa protein by HPLC gel filtration. The pH optima in either the glycolytic or the gluconeogenic direction is near neutral, which is unlike any of the protozoan or bacterial enzymes. The enzyme displayed typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The Km values for pyrophosphate and fructose 6-phosphate were 0.039 +/- 0.005 and 0.25 +/- 0.0196 mM, respectively. The initial velocity for the reverse reaction was also found to be hyperbolic. Different nucleoside triphosphates, including ATP, could not substitute for pyrophosphate as the phosphoryl donor. Similar to the pyrophosphate-dependent enzyme from other anaerobic protozoans and bacteria, the Giardial enzyme was not activated by fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, although this metabolite is a competitive inhibitor with respect to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate in the reverse reaction. The pH optima and the molecular weight properties of the Giardial enzyme are different from those of the two classes of the pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinases.
The role of data transfer on the selection of a single vs. multiple mesh architecture for tightly coupled multiphysics applications

Data transfer from one distinct mesh to another may be necessary in any number of applications, including prolongation operations supporting multigrid solution methods, spatial adaptation, remeshing, and arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) and multiphysics simulation. This data transfer process is also referred to as remapping, rezoning and interpolation. Intermesh data transfer has the potential to introduce error into a simulation; the magnitude and importance of which depends on the transfer scenario and the algorithm used to perform the transfer. For a transient analysis, data transfer may occur many times during a simulation, with possible error accumulation at each transfer. The present study develops selected scenarios that illustrate data transfer error and how it might impact an analysis. This study examines remapping error by using static analytical functions to compare various remapping schemes. It also investigates the significance and nature of data transfer error for a simple multiphysics system involving a transient coupled system of partial differential equations. It concludes that remapping error can be significant both for static functions and for coupled multiphysics systems. Aggregate error is shown to be a function of remapping scheme, mesh coarseness, nature of the remapped function and mesh disparity. In cases of extreme mesh disparity, thismore » study shows that remapping can lead to excessive error and even to solution instability. Further, this work motivates that remapping error should be included in the estimation of numerical error, if data transfer is employed in a numerical simulation.« less
Cross-linking constraints on F-actin structure.

The DNase I binding loop (residues 38-52), the hydrophobic plug (residues 262-274), and the C terminus region are among the structural elements of monomeric (G-) actin proposed to form the intermonomer interface in F-actin. To test the proximity and interactions of these elements and to provide constraints on models of F-actin structure, cysteine residues were introduced into yeast actin either at residue 41 or 265. These mutations allowed for specific cross-linking of F-actin between C41 and C265, C265 and C374, and C41 and C265 using dibromobimane and disulfide bond formation. The cross-linked products were visualized on SDS-PAGE and by electron microscopy. Model calculations carried out for the cross-linked F-actins revealed that considerable flexibility or displacement of actin residues is required in the disulfide cross-linked segments to fit these filaments into model F-actin structures. The calculated, cross-linked structures showed a better fit to the Holmes rather than the refined Lorenz model of F-actin. It is predicted on the basis of such calculations that image reconstruction of electron micrographs of disulfide cross-linked C41-C374 F-actin should provide a conclusive test of these two similar models of F-actin structure.
Overexpression of wild type but not an FAD mutant presenilin-1 promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus of adult mice

Mutations in the presenilin-1 (PS-1) gene are one cause of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). However, the functions of the PS-1 protein as well as how PS-1 mutations cause FAD are incompletely understood. Here we investigated if neuronal overexpression of wild-type or FAD mutant PS-1 in transgenic mice affects neurogenesis in the hippocampus of adult animals. We show that either a wild-type or an FAD mutant PS-1 transgene reduces the number of neural progenitors in the dentate gyrus. However, the wild-type, but not the FAD mutant PS-1 promoted the survival and differentiation of progenitors leading to more immature granule cell neurons being generated in PS-1 wild type expressing animals. These studies suggest that PS-1 plays a role in regulating neurogenesis in adult hippocampus and that FAD mutants may have deleterious properties independent of their effects on amyloid deposition.
Analysis of multidimensional spectra: estimating the continuum

Abstract We have developed a two-dimensional fitting program which extracts coincidence intensities and their uncertainties from a γγ coincidence matrix. The data are fitted by peaks and ridges on a two-dimensional continuum. The continuum is described as the product of components of a presumed Compton distribution for the set of detectors contributing to each axis of the continuum. Peaks and ridges are based on simple Gaussians.
Isopeptide Bonds Block the Mechanical Extension of Pilins in Gram-Positive Bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria use long, fibrous structures known as pili to attach to host cells. In Gram-positive bacteria, the pili shaft is formed by the covalent polymerization of the so-called major pilin protein. Accessory pilins, usually with adhesive properties, are located along the pilus shaft interspersed with the major pilin, and/or at the tip of the pilus. In this work, the mechanical behavior of Spy0128, the major pilin from Streptococcus pyogenes (M1 serotype), has been studied by single-molecule force spectroscopy. Spy0128, which is composed of two domains, was sandwiched between I27 protein modules, and the resulting heteropolyprotein was pulled using an atomic force microscope. In this kind of experiments, the mechanical response of the I27 modules produces a characteristic fingerprint that identifies the traces where the pilin must have been subject to force. In those successful traces, no unfolding events corresponding to the pilin modules were detected, even when the protein was pulled at forces close to 1 nN. The possibility of the pilin modules extending at very low forces was ruled out by estimating the initial extension before the first I27 unfolding event. Therefore, Spy0128 is the most mechanically stable protein identified so far. In order to test whether the mechanical resilience of Spy0128 is caused by two intramolecular isopeptide bonds (one per domain) described by X-ray crystallography and mass spectroscopy, mutant variants of Spy0128 that block the formation of the isopeptide bonds were also studied. Different to wild-type, the mutant domains unfolded at around 200 pN, implying that the isopeptide bonds further stabilize protein domains that are mechanically stable per se. The findings presented here provide new insights into the mechanical architecture of pili from pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria.
Scaling relationships between craniofacial sexual dimorphism and body mass dimorphism in primates: implications for the fossil record.

Craniofacial remains (the most abundant identifiable remains in the fossil record) potentially offer important information about body size dimorphism in extinct species. This study evaluates the scaling relationships between body mass dimorphism and different measures of craniofacial dimorphism, evaluating taxonomic differences in the magnitude and scaling of craniofacial dimorphism across higher taxonomic groups. Data on 40 dimensions from 129 primate species and subspecies demonstrate that few dimensions change proportionally with body mass dimorphism. Primates show general patterns of greater facial vs. neurocranial and orbital dimorphism, and greater dimorphism in lengths as opposed to breadths. Within any species, though, different craniofacial dimensions can yield very different reconstructions of size dimorphism. There are significant taxonomic differences in the relationships between size and craniofacial dimorphism among primate groups that can have a significant impact on reconstructions of body mass dimorphism. Hominoids tend to show lower degrees of facial dimorphism proportional to size dimorphism than other primates. This in turn implies that strong craniofacial dimorphism in Australopithecus africanus could imply very strong body size dimorphism, conflicting with the relatively modest size dimorphism inferred from postcrania. Different methods of estimating the magnitude of size dimorphism from craniofacial measurements yield similar results, and yield comparatively low percent prediction errors for a number of dimensions. However, confidence intervals for most estimates are so large as to render most estimates highly tentative.
Starting a University-based Physical Educational Program for Homeschooled Children

The rapidly changing landscape of higher education is making it more difficult for teacher-education programs to provide their students with authentic instructional opportunities. Budget cuts, larger class sizes, fewer faculty, and fewer physical education programs in public schools are causing education departments to reassess how they prepare their teacher candidates. There is one opportunity right in the backyard of many institutions ready to be utilized. The growing homeschool population can provide programs with an opportunity to create authentic K–12 teaching experiences for preservice students right on campus. Furthermore, it can generate revenue and serve as a recruiting tool for future college enrollments. This article discusses the logistics of starting a successful educational program for homeschooling families and shares the steps that one university took to make it happen.
Mechanisms for an abnormal radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction response to exercise in patients with chronic, severe aortic regurgitation.

Abstract To clarify the mechanisms for an abnormal radionuclide left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction response to exercise in patients with chronic, severe aortic regurgitation (AR), we studied seven control patients and 21 patients with AR. We used exercise radionuclide angiography and catheterization of the right and left sides of the heart to obtain a calculation of LV chamber elastance. The control and AR groups had similar heart rates, systolic blood pressure responses to exercise and exercise durations. In both patient groups, LV end-diastolic volume did not change with exercise. In contrast to the decrease in LV end-systolic volume ( p p r = 0.79, p r = 0.88, p
Two α1b-Adrenergic Receptor Mrnas Expressed in Sprague-Dawley Rat Liver Have Distinct 5′-Regions

Previous studies have revealed two size classes of alpha 1b-adrenergic receptor mRNAs, 3.3 kb and 2.7 kb, in the Sprague Dawley rat that are transcribed from a single gene and are expressed in approximately equal amounts in liver. Only the 2.7 kb mRNA is expressed in heart. Both alpha 1b-adrenergic receptor mRNAs appear to share extensive regions of homology, therefore, we used oligonucleotide-directed ribonuclease H mapping to detect sequence differences between the two transcripts. Initial experiments using oligo (dT)-directed RNase H hydrolysis indicated that the two mRNAs have poly [A+] tails of identical length. By using region-specific cDNA probes, we determined that the sequence difference between the two alpha 1b-adrenergic receptor mRNAs lies in the 5' end, upstream from the known initiator AUG in the 2.7 kb transcript. In addition, results from ribonuclease protection assays and Northern blot analysis in which an oligonucleotide was used as the probe suggested that both alpha 1b-adrenergic receptor mRNAs are transcribed from the same DNA strand.
Design and characterization of a spatially distributed multibeam field emission x-ray source for stationary digital breast tomosynthesis

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a limited angle computed tomography technique that can distinguish tumors from its overlying breast tissues and has potentials for detection of cancers at a smaller size and earlier stage. Current prototype DBT scanners are based on the regular full-field digital mammography systems and require partial isocentric motion of an x-ray tube over certain angular range to record the projection views. This prolongs the scanning time and, in turn, degrades the imaging quality due to motion blur. To mitigate the above limitations, the concept of a stationary DBT (s-DBT) scanner has been recently proposed based on the newly developed spatially distributed multibeam field emission x-ray (MBFEX) source technique using the carbon nanotube. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of the 25-beam MBFEX source array that has been designed and fabricated for the s-DBT system. The s-DBT system records all the projection images by electronically activating the multiple x-ray beams from different viewing angles without any mechanical motion. The configuration of the MBFEX source is close to the published values from the Siemens Mammomat system. The key issues including the x-ray flux, focal spot size, spatial resolution, scanning time, beam-to-beam consistency, and reliability are evaluated using the standard procedures. In this article, the authors describe the design and performance of a distributed x-ray source array specifically designed for the s-DBT system. They evaluate the emission current, current variation, lifetime, and focal spot sizes of the source array. An emission current of up to 18 mA was obtained at 0.5×0.3 mm effective focal spot size. The experimentally measured focal spot sizes are comparable to that of a typical commercial mammography tube without motion blurring. Trade-off between the system spatial resolution, x-ray flux, and scanning time are also discussed. Projection images of a breast phantom were collected using the x-ray source array from 25 different viewing angles without motion. These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed s-DBT scanner. The technology has the potential to increase the resolution and reduce the imaging time for DBT. With the present design of 25 views, they demonstrated experimentally the feasibility of achieving 11 s scanning time at full detector resolution with 0.5×0.3 mm source resolution without motion blur. The flexibility in configuration of the x-ray source array will also allow system designers to consider imaging geometries that are difficult to achieve with the conventional single-source rotating approach.
The karyotype and genome structure of the pirate perch Aphredoderus sayanus(Aphredoderidae: Teleostei)

The standard karyotype, genome size (DNA content), and genomic DNA base composition and distribution of the relict paracanthopterygian fish,Aphredoderus sayanus, were investigated. Several features of theA. sayanus genome appear to be derived rather than primitive conditions. These include a large number (at least 10 pairs) of bi-armed chromosomes, a low genome size, and high DNA asymmetry. This may indicate thatA. sayanus is not a typical paracanthopterygian fish in terms of its genome structure.
Cardiac operations in solid-organ transplant recipients.

Background The success of solid organ transplantation has resulted in an increasing pool of patients that subsequently require cardiac surgical procedures, yet the perioperative management of these patients is not well documented. We report a single institutional experience with the management techniques used and the outcomes of the cardiac surgical procedures performed in solid organ transplant recipients with functioning allografts. Methods Sixty-four patients underwent 66 cardiac procedures broken down as follows: coronary artery bypass grafting, 30; single or combined valve replacement-repair, 24; combined coronary artery bypass grafting and valve repair, 3; aortic repair, 4; pericardiectomy, 3; transmyocardial laser revascularization, 1; and native cardiectomy, 1. Patients consisted of 40 kidney, 16 liver, 5 heart, 2 lung, and 1 liver and kidney transplant recipients. The mean interval from the time of transplantion to the cardiac operation was 53 months (range, 1 day to 220 months). Forty-six male and 18 female patients in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV had a mean age of 53 years (range, 19 to 77 years); 50% (32/64) were diabetic, and 97% (62/64) were hypertensive. Immunosuppressive therapy, cardiopulmonary bypass, and medical management were similar in all patients. Results There were two (3%) perioperative deaths, one of which was caused by an arrhythmia-induced cardiac arrest, and there were seven (11%) late deaths from noncardiac-related causes. Major complications included 12 infections (19%), ten mediastinal reexplorations for the control of bleeding (16%), and nine others (15%). Sixteen of the 64 (25%) transplant recipients had chronic renal failure (serum creatinine levels, >3mg/dL), including 13 of 40 (33%) kidney transplant patients. Acute renal failure developed postoperatively in 7 (54%) of these 13 patients; the grafts failed permanently in 3 (23%). Three patients (5%), 2 kidney transplant recipients and 1 lung transplant recipient, experienced transient acute rejection. Fifty of the 55 surviving patients are alive and well (New York Heart Association functional class I or II) without recurrent cardiac disease at a mean follow-up period of 22 months. Conclusions Although the short-term morbidity was significant, the low mortality and low incidence of permanent graft dysfunction indicate that solid organ transplant recipients can safely and effectively undergo subsequent cardiac surgical procedures.
The influence of enalapril and spironolactone on electrolyte concentrations in Doberman pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Abstract The combination of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) with an aldosterone receptor antagonist can increase serum potassium and magnesium and lower serum sodium concentrations. The objective of this study was to retrospectively determine whether an ACEI and spironolactone can be co-administered to Doberman pinschers with occult dilated cardiomyopathy without serious adverse influences on serum electrolyte concentrations. Between 2001 and 2007, 26 client-owned Doberman pinschers were given enalapril, spironolactone, and carvedilol and followed for at least 6 months. Most dogs had been prescribed mexiletine for ventricular tachyarrhythmia suppression. Dogs were treated with pimobendan when congestive heart failure was imminent. Baseline and follow-up (3–10 visits) color-flow Doppler echocardiograms, serum urea nitrogen (SUN), creatinine, sodium, potassium, and magnesium concentration data were tabulated. Compared to baseline data, there were no significant changes in serum sodium or serum creatinine concentrations. Serum magnesium ( P = 0.003), serum potassium ( P = 0.0001), and SUN ( P = 0.0001) concentrations increased significantly with time. Although the combination of ACEI and spironolactone was associated with significant increases in magnesium, potassium, and SUN concentrations, these changes were of no apparent clinical relevance. At the dosages used in this study, this combination of drugs appears safe.
Biogenic ice nucleation: Could it be metabolically initiated?

Two species of bacteria, Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia herbicola can initiate warm temperature (−1° to −3°C) ice nucleation events. This ice nucleation could be important in atmospheric ice nucleation processes. These bacteria are commonly found on plant surfaces and are responsible for initiating the ice nucleation events that lead to frost damage in plants. The mechanism of this ice nucleation event is unknown. Using assumptions, theoretical calculations, and the known metabolic requirements for these bacteria, we develop the idea that endergonic metabolism can be the basis for the initiation of an ice nucleation event. We speculate that altered oxidative metabolism of these organisms, lack of cytochrome c for example, could be an important factor. A purely thermal effect leading to ice nucleation is unlikely, but the possibility of a metabolically driven conformational change which may involve a redistribution of ionic charge leading to an exceptionally good ice nucleating site is one way of explaining the properties of these bacteria. A gel collapse may be involved, removing water from an “unfreezable state” and making it available for the critical embryonic ice crystal.
Characteristic polynomials of a permutation representation

Abstract Let G be a finite group. To each permutation representation ( G , X ) of G and class function χ of G we associate the χ- characteristic polynomial g χ ( x ) of ( G , X ) which is a polynomial in one variable with complex numbers as coefficients. The coefficients of g χ ( x ) are investigated in terms of the “exterior powers” of ( G , X ). If χ is the principal character 1 G of G , the coefficients of g χ ( x ) are non-negative integers; and if furthermore G has odd order, the k th coefficient is the number of orbits of G acting on the subsets of X with k elements. Quadratic and linear relations among the exterior powers of ( G , X ) have been derived and it is shown how the polynomial g χ ( x ) can be computed from the cycle index of ( G , X ).
The Effect of Uncertainty on Resource Allocation in a General Equilibrium Model

Publisher Summary The chapter explores the effects of uncertainty on welfare, resource allocation, and income distribution within the context of a simple competitive general equilibrium model. The traditional static two-factor-two-good model in the presence of uncertainty in the production process has been investigated, and it has been assumed that in the short run, the allocation of capital between two industries is fixed and that economic agents make their decisions with respect to production and labor input under certainty. The chapter describes the effects of uncertainty under two alternative assumptions about the technology. In the first model, it is assumed that the basic random variable is the total supply of labor services. The supply may be random as a result of the variability in the number of workers in the labor force or, more plausibly, as a result of the variability in the efficiency of a fixed labor force.
Higher Valent Metal Pentadienyl Chemistry: Syntheses, Structures, and Reactions of Zr(6,6-dmch)2X2 Complexes (dmch = dimethylcyclohexadienyl; X = Cl, Br, I) and Related Species

The zirconium(II) complex Zr(6,6-dmch)2(PMe3)2 undergoes facile reactions with 1,2-dihaloalkanes, yielding the formal oxidative addition products Zr(6,6-dmch)2X2 (X = Cl, Br, I). A similar reaction with 1-chloro-2-methoxyethane yields Zr(6,6-dmch)2(Cl)(OCH3). Each of the complexes has been characterized analytically, spectroscopically, and structurally. A direct oxidative addition reaction occurs with CH3Br, yielding the thermally unstable Zr(6,6-dmch)2(CH3)(Br), which has been characterized spectroscopically and structurally. As had been observed for related Zr(C5H5)(6,6-dmch)X2 complexes, the Zr−dmch coordination is severely skewed, with quite short Zr−C3 interactions and substantially lengthened interactions with the remaining carbon atoms of the dienyl fragment. This may be attributed to an inability of the contracted Zr(IV) orbitals to interact effectively with all the carbon atoms in the wide, electronically open dienyl ligands.
Activated expression of the N-myc gene in human neuroblastomas and related tumors

In neuroblastoma lines in which the N-myc gene is present as a single copy, the expression of N-myc as messenger RNA is increased relative to that in nonneuroblastoma cell lines and tumors. The increase of expression in neuroblastomas with amplified N-myc genes is the result of (i) an increase in the absolute amount of expression of each N-myc gene and (ii) an increase in the copy number of the N-myc gene. A second gene--which is amplified in many of the same lines as N-myc--is expressed to about the same degree in most human cell lines and primary tumors regardless of origin (when normalized to gene copy number). Thus, a change in the regulation of N-myc expression in neuroblastomas and certain other tumors results in greatly increased expression of each N-myc gene copy.
Burnout and the Academic Teaching Librarian: An Examination of the Problem and Suggested Solutions.

Abstract Research indicates significant levels of burnout in academic teaching librarians. This article describes parallels with other “helping professions” and examines characteristics, causes, and solutions of burnout, inside and outside the classroom. Solutions should be sought in research on similar professions and their effectiveness should be measured.
Using technology to decrease xerostomia for head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation therapy.

Abstract The treatment of head and neck cancer has evolved from conventional fields encompassing large volumes of normal tissue to focused treatment aimed at conforming the dose around the target while avoiding normal tissue. Intensity modulated radiation therapy has changed the way radiation oncologists think about head and neck cancer. Using the concepts of conformal treatment and avoidance, the therapeutic ratio can be improved and technology exploited to the patients' advantage. This is particularly evident with head and neck irradiation, where a common side effect is xerostomia. By decreasing xerostomia through conformal avoidance of the parotid glands, we can improve patient satisfaction and quality of life. In this study, xerostomia is assessed through a subjective salivary gland function questionnaire. This article examines the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy in the treatment of head and neck cancer to decrease xerostomia. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the significance of parotid gland dosimetry in relation to subjective salivary gland function. Semin Oncol 29 (suppl 19):71-79. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
VALUATION AND RISK-ADJUSTED DISCOUNT RATES

There is a continuing controversy as to whether the use of a constant risk adjusted discount rate in capital budgeting decisions implies that the risk of the cash flows increases over time. This paper shows that valuation using these discount rates implies an increasing premium for risk over time but that the increasing premium is due to the net impact of the uncertainty in the cash flow; uncertainty in future market expectations of the cash flow; and changes in the market price of risk. The risk of the cash flow itself need not be increasing over time.
Sulcando os mares: um historiador do império português enfrenta a "Atlantic History"

This contribution to history has two dimensions of which one predominates, being the historiography: the genesis and evolution of the "Atlantic History", its characteristics, emphases and methodology, and how it diverges from the conscious history of an imperial framework. The second is a practicum: that is to say, my attempt in conceptualizing and organizing an article about the "Luso-Afro-Brazilian Atlantic" in the period around 1660 up to around 1760" according to what is understood as the guidelines and precepts of the "Atlantic History". From the fruit of such experiences, I conclude with an evaluation of the pros and cons of the "Atlantic History", in comparison with other historiographies, and make observations with respect to its potential to open up new lines of research into Brazilian colonial history.
Gene Regulatory Networks and the Evolution of Animal Body Plans

Development of the animal body plan is controlled by large gene regulatory networks (GRNs), and hence evolution of body plans must depend upon change in the architecture of developmental GRNs. However, these networks are composed of diverse components that evolve at different rates and in different ways. Because of the hierarchical organization of developmental GRNs, some kinds of change affect terminal properties of the body plan such as occur in speciation, whereas others affect major aspects of body plan morphology. A notable feature of the paleontological record of animal evolution is the establishment by the Early “Cambrian of virtually all phylum-level body plans. We identify a class of GRN component, the kernels” of the network, which, because of their developmental role and their particular internal structure, are most impervious to change. Conservation of phyletic body plans may have been due to the retention since pre-Cambrian time of GRN kernels, which underlie development of major body parts.
Cysteine Substitutions in Epidermal Growth Factor–Like Domains of Fibrillin-1: Distinct Effects on Biochemical and Clinical Phenotypes

Fibrillin-1 (FBN1) contains 47 epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains characterized by six conserved cysteine residues. Cysteine substitutions that disrupt one of the three disulfide bonds are frequent causes of Marfan syndrome (MFS). We identified 19 new substitutions involving cysteine residues in each of the six positions of EGF-like domains. Allele-specific mRNA assays revealed equal abundance of mutant and normal FBN1 transcripts in all 10 individuals studied. Quantitative pulse-chase analysis of fibrillin protein was performed on 25 mutant fibroblast strains with substitutions of 22 different cysteine residues in 18 different EGF-like domains spanning the entire gene. Normal synthesis and stability of mutant fibrillin molecules was seen in 20/25 individuals, 11 of whom showed delayed intracellular processing and/or secretion. In the remaining five cases, the mutant protein was apparently unstable. In four of these five cases, the second or third disulfide bond of EGF-like domains immediately preceding an 8-cysteine or hybrid domain was affected. All but two mutations caused severe reduction of matrix deposition, which was attributed to a dominant-negative effect of mutant molecules. For genotype/phenotype comparisons, clinical data on 25 probands and 19 mutation-positive family members were analyzed. Ocular manifestations were among the most consistent features (ectopia lentis in 86%, myopia in 80%). Nine mutations encoded by exons 26-32 resulted in early-onset classic MFS and, in one case, neonatal-lethal MFS. Mutations outside this region were associated with variable clinical phenotypes, including individuals with fibrillinopathies not meeting diagnostic criteria for MFS.
Spinor Currents as Vector Particles

Abstract We study a prototype for the problem of determining the irreducible factors of the spaces spanned by currents between homogeneous vector bundles. More specifically, let G denote the conformal group of Minkowski space–time M 0 , or more precisely, SU (2, 2). It is shown that the positive-energy unitary G -irreducible massive factors of the one-form bundle over the conformal compactification of M 0 are bundle-equivalent to spaces spanned by currents of the spinor bundle. This has the interpretation that the Z -particle may be modelled by the representation of G of lowest K -type (“LKT”) (3,emsp14;1/2, 1/2), where K = SU (1)× SU (2)× SU (2) and ( m , j , j ′) refers to the representation in which the lowest eigenvalue of the SU (1) generator is m , while j and j ′ are the spins of the left and right SU (2) representations. In particular, this “ Z ” representation is bundle-equivalent to the representation of G in a space of currents between neutrinos, of LKT (3/2, 0, 1/2), and antineutrinos, of LKT (3/2, 1/2, 0). The W ± -particle representation may similarly be modelled by the representation of G of lowest K -type (4, 0, 0), the only other massive positive-energy unitary factor of the one-form bundle. In particular, the W −is equivalent to a space of currents between the electron, of LKT (5/2, 0, 1/2), and the antineutrino. These results are consistent with the possibility that all quasi-stable elementary particles may be modelled by similar subspaces of bundle products.
Merging storyboard strategies and automatic retrieval for improving interactive video search

The Carnegie Mellon University Informedia group has enjoyed consistent success with TRECVID interactive search using traditional storyboard interfaces for shot-based retrieval. For TRECVID 2006 the output of automatic search was included for the first time with storyboards, both as an option for an interactive user and in a different run as the sole means of access. The automatic search makes use of relevance-based probabilistic retrieval models to determine weights for combining retrieval sources when addressing a given topic. Storyboard-based access using automatic search output outperformed extreme video retrieval interfaces of manual browsing with resizable pages and rapid serial visualization of keyframes that used the same output. Further, the full Informedia interface with automatic search results as an option along with other query mechanisms scored significantly better than all other TRECVID 2006 interactive search systems. Attributes of the automatic search and interactive search systems are discussed to further optimize shot-based retrieval from news corpora.
The Mixed State in Superconducting Thin Films

Critical magnetic fields of superconducting vacuum-evaporated tin films were measured for all angles $\ensuremath{\theta}$ between the magnetic field and the film surface at temperatures from $0.4{T}_{c}$ to ${T}_{c}$. The experimental results were found to be consistent with Ginzburg-Landau theory provided that the original theory was modified to account for the extended temperature range and the nonlocal nature of superconducting electrodynamics. Measurements of the temperature dependence of the parallel and perpendicular critical fields supported the extensions of Ginzburg-Landau theory developed, most notably, by Maki and de Gennes. The angular dependence of the critical field for $0l\ensuremath{\theta}l\frac{1}{2}\ensuremath{\pi}$ at different temperatures was found to be in agreement with Tinkham's original formula for several sufficiently thin films, $d\ensuremath{\ll}{\ensuremath{\xi}}_{T}$; a detailed derivation of that formula is given here, with discussion of its range of validity. For thicker films the corrections found by Yamafuji et al. were necessary to obtain agreement with the data. The critical fields were carefully measured for $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\approx}0$, and evidence of surface superconductivity was found in the thickest film studied, but not in thinner films. This is consistent with the numerical calculations of St. James and de Gennes.
A CIS study of solvent effects on the electronic absorption spectrum of Reichardt's dye

Abstract A configuration interaction singles wavefunction, in conjunction with a self-consistent reaction field and a simple Onsager spherical cavity model, has been used to calculate the solvent induced shifts in Reichardt's dye (RD). The results from this simple method are in good agreement with experiment for aprotic solvents, but large discrepancies exist for protic solvents. This discrepancy can be partially compensated for by including one explicit solvent molecule H-bonded to RD. Geometry optimization of the S1 state in RD predicts a pyramidal sp3 hybridized N atom and an overall structure that differs significantly from that in the S0 state. Analysis of the calculated dipole moments and selected molecular orbitals are in accord with previous analyses of the S0→S1 charge transfer transition in RD. However, the nature of the S0→S2 transition appears to change with solvent dielectric strength (ϵ). At low ϵ this transition seems to have significant charge transfer character that decreases as ϵ increases.
Rare-earth neutral metal injection into an electron beam ion trap plasma

We have designed and implemented a neutral metal vapor injector on the SuperEBIT high-energy electron beam ion trap at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. A horizontally directed vapor of a europium metal is created using a thermal evaporation technique. The metal vapor is then spatially collimated prior to injection into the trap. The source's form and quantity constraints are significantly reduced making plasmas out of metal with vapor pressures ≤10−7 Torr at ≥1000 °C more obtainable. A long pulsed or constant feed metal vapor injection method adds new flexibility by varying the timing of injection and rate of material being introduced into the trap.