cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene Therapy for Restenosis

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of major morbidity and mortality in the United States. Arterial insufficiency resulting from flow-limiting lesions can lead to myocardial, renal, mesenteric, and extremity dysfunction. Treatments for these atherosclerotic arterial lesions include arterial bypass and angioplasty. These therapies are limited by the development of intimal hyperplasia (IH), thus reducing hemodynamic improvement significantly. A number of pharmacological agents with antiplatelet and anticoagulant properties have failed to reduce the incidence and rate of restenosis. Because of the magnitude of the patient population affected by IH, there has been a tremendous need to develop a therapy that will successfully reduce its incidence. Over the last decade, the field of vascular gene therapy has emerged as a viable therapeutic approach, permitting the targeting of genes to produce local and transient effects on the development of IH. This review will discuss the rationale and preliminary data for the different genes that have been evaluated to date. One of the first reports of successful gene transfer to vascular cells was by Nabel et al in 1989.1 These investigators transfected porcine endothelial cells ex vivo with a retrovirus encoding the β-galactosidase gene and reintroduced the cells onto the denuded iliofemoral artery of a syngeneic animal. The arterial segments isolated 2 to 4 weeks later demonstrated endothelial cells that expressed the β-galactosidase gene, thus indicating successful incorporation of the transgene into the transduced cells. Landmark follow-up experiments in which herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) was delivered to injured porcine iliac2 or rat carotid3 arteries using an adenoviral vector were published 5 years later (see Table online; http://www.circresaha.org). This approach, which is based on the conversion of coadministered ganciclovir to a toxic metabolite by HSV-tk, decreased the neointima by 86% in the porcine model2 and 46% in the …
An Algorithm for the Automated Determination of Cardiac Output by the Stewart-Hamilton Method

An algorithm is described for the digital computer determination of cardiac output by the Stewart-Hamilton method. The algorithm is concerned with the choice of a window over which a negative exponential is fitted to the indicator dilution data to eliminate the effects of recirculated indicator. Trials of the algorithm are reported, and it is found to be suitable for clinical use.
Preliminary calculations of average storm duration and seasonal precipitation rates for the northeast sector of the united states

Abstract Regional and seasonal averages of storm duration and precipitation rates are needed as input variables in models aimed at describing precipitation processes relating to acid rain and other problems. Hourly precipitation data for 77 first order weather stations were used to calculate the summer and winter regional average storm duration and average precipitation rates over the northeastern United States. Average storm duration for summer (June–July–August), and winter (December–January–February) seasons considered periods of up to three dry hours in summer storms, and up to 6 dry hours in winter storms to be part of the same storm. Thus, each storm consisted of one or more precipitation periods. The average precipitation event rates for summer and winter storms were calculated. By considering storm duration on an hourly basis, the 3-h summer storm was found to contribute the greatest fraction to total summer precipitation. Similarly, the 26-h winter storm was found to contribute the greatest fraction to winter precipitation. The summer storms typically consisted of one rain event lasting about three hours with rain rates averaging ~ 2.5 mm h −1 . The 25-h winter storm averaged about 3 precipitation periods (or rain bands). Each period lasted about seven hours and had an average precipitation rate of 1.0 mmh −1 .
Dynamics of spin-1 bosons in an optical lattice: Spin mixing, quantum-phase-revival spectroscopy, and effective three-body interactions

We study the dynamics of spin-1 atoms in a periodic optical-lattice potential and an external magnetic field in a quantum quench scenario where we start from a superfluid ground state in a shallow lattice potential and suddenly raise the lattice depth. The time evolution of the nonequilibrium state shows collective collapse-and-revival oscillations of matter-wave coherence as well as oscillations in the spin populations. We show that the complex pattern of these two types of oscillations reveals details about the superfluid and magnetic properties of the initial many-body ground state. Furthermore, we show that the strengths of the spin-dependent and spin-independent atom-atom interactions can be deduced from the observations. The Hamiltonian that describes the physics of the final deep lattice not only contains two-body interactions but also effective multibody interactions, which arise due to virtual excitations to higher bands. We derive these effective spin-dependent three-body interaction parameters for spin-1 atoms and describe how spin mixing is affected. Spinor atoms are unique in the sense that multibody interactions are directly evident in the in situ number densities in addition to the momentum distributions. We treat both antiferromagnetic (e.g., ${}^{23}$Na) and ferromagnetic (e.g., ${}^{87}$Rb and ${}^{41}$K) condensates.
Charge transfer reactions of organic ions containing oxygen: Correlation between reaction energetics and cross sections

Cross sections for charge transfer reactions of organic ions containing oxygen have been obtained using time-of-flight techniques. Charge transfer cross sections have been determined for reactions of 2.0 to 3.4 keV ions produced by electron impact ionization of oxygen containing molecules such as methanol, ethanal and ethanol. Experimental cross section magnitudes have been correlated with reaction energy defects computed from ion recombination energies and target ionization energies. Large cross sections are observed for reacting systems with small energy defects.
Non-Scanning Two-Photon Microscopy for Imaging in Live Cells

Live cell imaging with two-photon microscopy is limited by the scanning necessary to construct an image. We describe the application of two-photon excitation used in a total internal reflection configuration that does not require scanning.
Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for connective tissue components

Abstract Enzyme-linked immunoadsorbant assays have been developed for types I, II, III, and IV collagen and for laminin and fibronectin. These assays offer a specific, sensitive, and convenient method for the measurement of various connective tissue components either separately or simultaneously. Plastic microtiter wells are coated with purified antigen, then antibodies to the antigen are allowed to bind to the insolubilized antigen in each well. The amount of bound antibody is determined by incubation with a second antibody which is covalently linked to alkaline phosphatase or horseradish peroxidase. The amount of bound enzyme is assayed after adding an appropriate substrate. The level of protein in a sample is estimated from its ability to inhibit the binding of the first antibody to the antigen-coated well. Specificity of the assay depends on the purity of the adsorbed antigen and allows for highly specific tests. Under optimum conditions the sensitivity of the assay is determined by the KB of the antibody and allows 10–20 ng of a specific type of collagen or laminin and 1 ng fibronectin to be detected.
Morphological changes produced by amorphous phase decomposition in the Na2O-SiO2 system

The Na2O-SiO2 system was used as an experimental model for a study of immiscibility which occurs metastably from approximately 0 to 20 mol % soda in this system. The time and temperature of heat treatment of glass samples was varied in order to observe the progressive development of metastable and unstable types of morphologies by electron microscopic techniques. The development of the morphologies is explained on the basis of hypothetical free-energy curves.
Sex differences in face recognition and influence of facial affect

To study sex differences in the recognition of human faces with different facial expressions, 65 female and 64 male participants learned to associate names with various male and female neutral faces. During the recall phase, participants were then asked to name the same persons depicting different emotional expressions (neutral, happy, angry, and fearful). Females were faster than males at naming male faces, and males were faster than females at naming female faces. All participants were faster at naming neutral or happy female faces than neural or happy male faces. These results suggest that opposite-sex faces require less processing time than same-sex faces, which is consistent with an evolutionary account.
Discussion: Tightening Up and Lightening Up

With gratitude to Drs. Axelman and Bellinson for their eloquent deepening of our understanding of the need for the development and negotiation of internal and external limit setting in the child, in the parents, and in the consultation room, this discussion expands on those ideas by placing them in the historical context, in which “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child” has been replaced with “Use the Rod, Lose the Child.” Parenting by guilt and chronic parental anxiety leads to parenting too much to compensate for parenting too little, which in turn leads to both an overaggressive child with a poor internal brake system and the parent's split image of the child as both a feared but also a fragile object. Work with parents will necessitate substituting authenticity and benign authority for opulent neglect, and work with children in the playroom will have to take into consideration the possibility that the universal trait of seeking internal limits may be inhibited or impaired by underaggressive parenting, necess...
Geometrical Limitations Of Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner Resolution

The geometrical limitation of the spatial resolution inherent in a CT scanner has been analyzed. In order to assess this limitation, an equation for calculating the theoretical attenuation profile optical transfer function (OTF) from the geometrical dimensions of the system was derived. Four commercially available CT units were studied which are representative of the three basic design types in use. For each unit the OTF was calculated and the results are presented. Using this information in conjunction with the pixel size and data sampling frequency of the attenuation profiles, an analysis of the factors limiting the spatial resolution of each unit was made. In addition, subtle effects on the image quality of a scan due to the geometry of the data-taking mechanics are discussed and correlated with the observations of experimental comparisons. A suggestion is made for the optimal design of a CT unit that will encompass the conclusions of this analysis.
QUANTITATIVE CONCEPTS RELATED TO PROTHROMBIN AND AUTOPROTHROMBIN I ACTIVITY

It has been discovered that Russell viper venom can be combined with autoprothrombin I and calcium ions for the activation of purified prothrombin to thrombin provided a small amount of Ac-globulin...
Clinical effectiveness of 6-mercaptopurine in bronchial asthma

Abstract Ten patients with perennial atopic and infectious asthma were given the immunosuppressant, 6-mercaptopurine and/or placebo in a double blind study. The patients received 6-mercaptopurine and/or placebo in two consecutive courses of three weeks each. The dosage was 150 mg. (2 to 2.5 mg. per kilogram) daily. The patients were seen weekly during the study. The clinical responses were determined by measuring the amount of bronchodilators required, subjective response, and pulmonary function studies. Serum proteins, complcte blood counts, platelet counts, sedimentation rates, and skin tests to inhalants were serially followed. There was improvement in both the placebo group and those receiving 6-mercaptopurinc. Analysis of the responses revealed that the changes were not statistically significant and, therefore, under the conditions of this study, we could not demonstrate benefit from 6-mercaptopurine.
Lymphovascular Invasion Enhances the Prediction of Non-Sentinel Node Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients With Positive Sentinel Nodes

Background:Fifty percent of patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases have no metastatic disease in non-SLNs on axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The goal of this study is to determine which patients have metastatic disease limited to the SLN, and, therefore, may not require completion ALND.
A CONSIDERATION FOR VARIABLE LENGTH ADAPTIVE TESTS

In a variable-length adaptive test with a stopping rule that relied on the asymptotic standard error of measurement of the examinee's estimated true score, Stocking (1987) discovered that it was sufficient to know the examinee's true score and the number of items administered to predict with some accuracy whether an examinee's true score was over or under estimated. She theorized that this result might be due to the standard error being correct only asymptotically. Sympson (1985) recommended two Bayesian stopping rules that do not rely on any asymptotic properties. This paper replicates the Stocking study using one of the variable-length adaptive testing procedures recommended by Sympson to see whether that procedure gives the same result as found in the Stocking study. The Sympson procedure uses a stopping rule that relies on the posterior standard deviation of the number-right true score on a criterion test. In both the Stocking study and the Sympson procedure, knowing the examinee's true score and the number of items administered is sufficient for predicting whether the estimated true score is over or under estimated. This is due to the fact that the magnitude of both the asymptotic standard error of measurement of the estimated scores and the posterior standard deviation of the true score varies scores and the posterior standard deviation of the true score varies as the estimated true score varies.
Repeat Revascularization Is a Faulty End Point for Clinical Trials

Coronary revascularization is performed to reduce myocardial ischemia and its sequelae of death, myocardial infarction, and anginal symptoms. A successful procedure increases the patient's quality of life, length of life, or both. Clinical trials of coronary revascularization should measure these outcomes to assess progress toward the goals of therapy. Death is an important and unequivocal outcome but, fortunately, is uncommon, and hence, very large studies are needed to assess differences in mortality. Myocardial infarction is also an objective outcome because it requires laboratory measures such as electrocardiography, biomarker levels, and imaging results, but it too is uncommon and can be assessed only in large trials. In contrast to these hard outcomes, angina is a symptom, and its subjectivity has made it less desirable to clinical investigators as an outcome measure. Angina can be measured using standardized approaches, however, and its effect on health status and quality of life has been quantified in many clinical trials. Article see p 267 In addition to these standard outcomes, repeat coronary revascularization has been adopted as an end point in many trials of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Early balloon angioplasty procedures had high rates of restenosis and, consequently, of repeat revascularization procedures, typically another angioplasty. In the early 1980s, most interventional cardiologists accepted repeat procedures as an inevitable consequence of PCI because restenosis proved very difficult to tame, at least by using drug therapy. The disease process of restenosis could be measured using coronary angiography, but the angiographic measures were of uncertain clinical importance. Repeat revascularization became a …
Long-range oscillation in a periodic DNA sequence motif may influence nucleosome array formation

We have experimentally examined the characteristics of nucleosome array formation in different regions of mouse liver chromatin, and have computationally analyzed the corresponding genomic DNA sequences. We have shown that the mouse adenosine deaminase (MADA) gene locus is packaged into an exceptionally regular nucleosome array with a shortened repeat, consistent with our computational prediction based on the DNA sequence. A survey of the mouse genome indicates that <10% of 70 kb windows possess a nucleosome-ordering signal, consisting of regular long-range oscillations in the period-10 triplet motif non-T, A/T, G (VWG), which is as strong as the signal in the MADA locus. A strong signal in the center of this locus, confirmed by in vitro chromatin assembly experiments, appears to cooperate with weaker, in-phase signals throughout the locus. In contrast, the mouse odorant receptor (MOR) locus, which lacks locus-wide signals, was representative of ∼40% of the mouse genomic DNA surveyed. Within this locus, nucleosome arrays were similar to those of bulk chromatin. Genomic DNA sequences which were computationally similar to MADA or MOR resulted in MADA- or MOR-like nucleosome ladders experimentally. Overall, we provide evidence that computationally predictable information in the DNA sequence may affect nucleosome array formation in animal tissue.
Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality Rates are Not Increased for Patients with Gastric and Gastroesophageal Cancer Who Undergo Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy

This study aimed to determine whether postoperative morbidity and mortality rates increased after preoperative chemoradiation in patients who underwent gastrectomy. The medical records of 7404 patients with gastric or gastroesophageal cancer seen from January 1995 to August 2012 were reviewed to identify patients who underwent gastrectomy. χ 2 and logistic regression analysis were used to determine differences in the 90-day postoperative morbidity and mortality rates of patients who underwent upfront surgery (SURG), preoperative chemotherapy (CHEMO), or preoperative chemoradiation (CHEMOXRT). Of the 500 patients included in this study, 200 underwent SURG, 65 had CHEMO, and 235 had CHEMOXRT. Respectively, 33, 43, and 58 % of these patients underwent total gastrectomy (p < 0.01). Resection of other organs was performed respectively in 19, 26, and 23 % of the patients (p = 0.37). Minor complications within 90 days (Clavien–Dindo 1 or 2) occurred for 41 % of the SURG patients, 43 % of the CHEMO patients, and 45 % of the CHEMOXRT patients (p = 0.68). Major complications or death within 90 days (Clavien–Dindo 3, 4, or 5) occurred for 21, 28, and 29 % of the patients, respectively (p = 0.15). The 90-day mortality (Clavien–Dindo 5) rates were 2 % for the SURG patients, 6 % for the CHEMO patients, and 3 % for the CHEMOXRT patients (p = 0.25). The median hospital stays were respectively 12, 12, and 13 days (p = 0.09). In the multivariate analysis, male sex, gastroesophageal junction cancer, total gastrectomy, and resection of other organs were associated with increased major morbidity and mortality rates, whereas preoperative therapy was not. The CHEMOXRT patients had postoperative morbidity and mortality rates similar to those for the SURG and CHEMO patients.
Clinical utility of genetic testing in pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy: a pilot study.

Abstract Rationale The utility of genetic testing in pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy (PDRE), its yield in “real life” clinical practice, and the practical implications of such testing are yet to be determined. Goal To start to address the above gaps in our knowledge as they apply to a patient population seen in a tertiary care center. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our experience with the use of clinically available genetic tests in the diagnosis and management of PDRE in one clinic over one year. Genetic testing included, depending on clinical judgment, one or more of the following: karyotype, chromosomal microarray, single gene sequencing, gene sequencing panels, and/or whole exome sequencing (WES). Results We were more likely to perform genetic testing in patients with developmental delay, epileptic encephalopathy, and generalized epilepsy. In our unique population, the yield of specific genetic diagnosis was relatively high: karyotype 14.3%, microarray 16.7%, targeted single gene sequencing 15.4%, gene panels 46.2%, and WES 16.7%. Overall yield of diagnosis from at least one of the above tests was 34.5%. Disease-causing mutations that were not clinically suspected based on the patients' phenotypes and representing novel phenotypes were found in 6.9% (2/29), with an additional 17.2% (5/29) demonstrating pharmacologic variants. Three patients were incidentally found to be carriers of recessive neurologic diseases (10.3%). Variants of unknown significance (VUSs) were identified in 34.5% (10/29). Conclusions We conclude that genetic testing had at least some utility in our patient population of PDRE, that future similar larger studies in various populations are warranted, and that clinics offering such tests must be prepared to address the complicated questions raised by the results of such testing.
Uniqueness in remote sensing of the inherent optical properties of ocean water

We examine the problem of uniqueness in the relationship between the remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) and the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of ocean water. The results point to the fact that diffuse reflectance of plane irradiance from ocean water is inherently ambiguous. Furthermore, in the 400 < λ < 750 nm region of the spectrum, Rrs(λ) also suffers from ambiguity caused by the similarity in wavelength dependence of the coefficients of absorption by particulate matter and of absorption by colored dissolved organic matter. The absorption coefficients have overlapping exponential responses, which lead to the fact that more than one combination of IOPs can produce nearly the same Rrs spectrum. This ambiguity in absorption parameters demands that we identify the regions of the Rrs spectrum where we can isolate the effects that are due only to scattering by particulates and to absorption by pure water. The results indicate that the spectral shape of the absorption coefficient of phytoplankton, aph(λ), cannot be derived from a multiparameter fit to Rrs(λ). However, the magnitude and the spectral dependence of the absorption coefficient can be estimated from the difference between the measured Rrs(λ) and the best fit to Rrs(λ) in terms of IOPs that exclude aph(λ).
MutS HOMOLOG1 Is a Nucleoid Protein That Alters Mitochondrial and Plastid Properties and Plant Response to High Light

Mitochondrial-plastid interdependence within the plant cell is presumed to be essential, but measurable demonstration of this intimate interaction is difficult. At the level of cellular metabolism, several biosynthetic pathways involve both mitochondrial- and plastid-localized steps. However, at an environmental response level, it is not clear how the two organelles intersect in programmed cellular responses. Here, we provide evidence, using genetic perturbation of the MutS Homolog1 (MSH1) nuclear gene in five plant species, that MSH1 functions within the mitochondrion and plastid to influence organellar genome behavior and plant growth patterns. The mitochondrial form of the protein participates in DNA recombination surveillance, with disruption of the gene resulting in enhanced mitochondrial genome recombination at numerous repeated sequences. The plastid-localized form of the protein interacts with the plastid genome and influences genome stability and plastid development, with its disruption leading to variegation of the plant. These developmental changes include altered patterns of nuclear gene expression. Consistency of plastid and mitochondrial response across both monocot and dicot species indicate that the dual-functioning nature of MSH1 is well conserved. Variegated tissues show changes in redox status together with enhanced plant survival and reproduction under photooxidative light conditions, evidence that the plastid changes triggered in this study comprise an adaptive response to naturally occurring light stress.
Rethinking memory redundancy: optimal bit cell repair for maximum-information storage

SRAM design has been a major challenge for nanoscale manufacturing technology. We propose a new bit cell repair scheme for designing maximum-information memory system (MIMS). Unlike the traditional memory repair that attempts to replace all failed bit cells by redundant columns and/or rows, we propose to repair the important bits (e.g., the most significant bit) only so that the information density (i.e., the number of information bits per unit area) is maximized. Towards this goal, an efficient statistical algorithm is derived to efficiently estimate the information density and then optimize the memory system for maximum-information storage. Our experimental results demonstrate that with a traditional 6-T SRAM cell designed in a commercial 45nm CMOS process, the proposed MIMS design can successfully operate at an extremely low power supply voltage (i.e., 0.6 V) and improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by more than 20 dB compared to the traditional SRAM design.
Nurses' role in the prevention of infant mortality in 1884-1925: health disparities then and now.

Nursing has a strong historical precedence in the treatment of health disparities. This article evaluates the public health nurses' (PHNs') role with infant mortality during 1884–1920, specifically how nursing care impacted on conditions of poverty, poor nutrition, poor living conditions, lack of education, and lack of governmental policies that contributed to the poor health of infants a century ago. The historical significance of the early PHNs' role can improve our understanding of nursing practice with childhood health issues today. Suggestions are made for nursing to focus on health disparities in childhood obesity, in areas of environmental and policy changes, and the development of social programs and education for families to support healthier living.
A phase I dose-finding study of silybin phosphatidylcholine (milk thistle) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose. To determine the maximum tolerated dose per day of silybin phosphatidylcholine (Siliphos) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic dysfunction. Experimental Des...
Transplantation for myelofibrosis: yes! But for whom?

Myelofibrosis is a rare disease characterized by progressive obliteration of the marrow space by fibrosis, extramedullary hematopoiesis, splenomegaly, and presence of immature hematopoietic cells in the blood. It is a clonal disorder of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells that release fibrogenic
Analysis of explosives using electrospray ionization/ion mobility spectrometry (ESI/IMS)

The analysis of explosives with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) directly from aqueous solutions was shown for the first time using an electrospray ionization technique. The IMS was operated in the negative mode at 250°C and coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer to identify the observed IMS peaks. The IMS response characteristics of trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT), 4-nitrotoluene (4-NT), trinitrobenzene (TNB), cyclo-1,3,5-trimethylene-2,4,6-trinitramine (RDX), cyclo-tetramethylene-tetranitramine (HMX), dinitro-ethyleneglycol (EGDN) and nitroglycerine (NG) were investigated. Several breakdown products, predominantly NO2 and NO3 , were observed in the low-mass region. Nevertheless, all compounds with the exception of NG produced at least one ion related to the intact molecule and could therefore be selectively detected. For RDX and HMX the [MCl] cluster ion was the main peak and the signal intensities could be greatly enhanced by the addition of small amounts of sodium chloride to the sprayed solutions. The reduced mobility constants (K0) were in good agreement with literature data obtained from experiments where the explosives were introduced into the IMS from the vapor phase. The detection limits were in the range of 15‐190 m gl 1 and all calibration curves showed good linearity. A mixture of TNT, RDX and HMX was used to demonstrate the high separation potential of the IMS system. Baseline separation of the three compounds was attained within a total analysis time of 6.4 s. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Distinct cardioprotective effects of adenosine mediated by differential coupling of receptor subtypes to phospholipases C and D

Adenosine released during cardiac ischemia exerts a marked protective effect in the heart that is mediated by the A1 and A3 subtypes of adenosine receptors. The signaling pathways activated by these adenosine receptors have now been characterized in a chick embryo ventricular myocyte culture model of cardioprotection against ischemia. Selective A1 and A3 receptor agonists were shown to activate phospholipases C and D, respectively, to achieve their distinct cardioprotective effects. The specificity of the A3 receptor–phospholipase D interaction was also demonstrated in chick embryo atrial myocytes (which do not express endogenous A3 receptors) that had been transfected with a vector encoding the human A3 receptor. Activation of both endogenous A1 and A3 receptors in ventricular myocytes resulted in a protective response greater than that induced by stimulation of either receptor alone. Agonists that activate both adenosine A1 and A3 receptors may thus prove beneficial for the treatment of myocardial ische...
Interactions of exercise training and α-lipoic acid on insulin signaling in skeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats

We have shown previously (Saengsirisuwan V, Kinnick TR, Schmit MB, and Henriksen EJ. J Appl Physiol 91: 145–153, 2001) that the antioxidant R-(+)-α-lipoic acid (R-ALA), combined with endurance exer...
Rapid aqueous [18F]-labeling of a bodipy dye for positron emission tomography/fluorescence dual modality imaging

We report the rapid nucleophilic [18F]-radiolabeling of a bodipy dye in aqueous solutions. This radiolabeled dye, whose biodistribution and clearance has been studied in mice, is stable in vivo and can be used as a positron emission tomography/fluorescence dual modality imaging agent.
“Every Breath You Take... ”: The Demographics of Toxic Air Releases in Southern California

In this article, the authors investigate the relationship between ethnicity and potential environmental hazards in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. Using a variety of techniques, including geographic information systems (GIS) mapping, univariate comparisons, and logit, ordered logit, and tobit regression analysis, the authors find that, even controlling for other factors such as income and the extent of manufacturing employment and land use, minority residents tend to be disproportionately located in neighborhoods surrounding toxic air emissions. The results generally support the propositions of the proponents of “environmental justice”; in the conclusion, they consider what this might mean for urban land use and environmental policy.
Analog computing method for solving two-point boundary value problems

An analog computing method is proposed to accelerate the computation of two-point boundary value problems (BVPs). The analog network has many self-communicating nodes. The analog information (current and voltage) propagates through the network with much faster communication speed than a digital approach. The parallelism is inherent in the network. Physically imposing a two-point boundary condition on the analog network permits the BVP problem to be simulated and solved by measuring the distribution of stabilized voltage across the network. Two problems from robotics and computer vision are considered to illustrate the process. >
Itraconazole Preexposure Attenuates the Efficacy of Subsequent Amphotericin B Therapy in a Murine Model of Acute Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

Antagonism has been described in vitro and in vivo for azole-polyene combinations against Aspergillus species. Using an established murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, we evaluated the efficacy of several amphotericin B (AMB) dosages given alone or following preexposure to itraconazole (ITC). Mice were immunosuppressed with cortisone acetate and cyclophosphamide. During immunosuppression, animals were administered either ITC solution (50 mg/kg of body weight) or saline by oral gavage twice daily for 3 days prior to infection. Infection was induced by intranasally inoculating mice with a standardized conidial suspension (1 x 10(8) CFU/ml) of Aspergillus fumigatus strain AF 293. AMB was then administered by daily intraperitoneal injections (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg) starting 24 h after inoculation and continuing for a total of 72 h. Drug pharmacokinetics of AMB and ITC in plasma were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Four different endpoints were used to examine the efficacy of antifungal therapy: (i) viable counts from harvested lung tissue (in CFU per milliliter), (ii) the whole-lung chitin assay, (iii) mortality at 96 h, and (iv) histopathology of representative lung sections. At AMB doses of >0.5 mg/kg/day, fewer ITC-preexposed mice versus non-ITC-preexposed mice were alive at 96 h (0 to 20 versus 60%, respectively). At all time points, the fungal lung burden was consistently and significantly higher in animals preexposed to ITC, as measured by the CFU counts (P = 0.001) and the chitin assay (P = 0.03). Higher doses of AMB did not overcome this antagonism. ITC preexposure was associated with poorer mycological efficacy and survival in mice treated subsequently with AMB for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
What Role Do Fashion Dolls Play in Socialization of Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate young girls' doll preferences, identify types of doll play in which children engage, and explore mothers' perceptions of the influence of fashion dolls on their lives. Except for height and gender, none of the 9 girls referred to specific physical characteristics of dolls' body shapes when explaining doll preferences. Instead, aspects of dolls that could be physically manipulated were frequently mentioned and play focused on changing dolls' appearances and vicarious role playing. Their mothers differed in their perceptions of how fashion dolls had affected their lives.
CQMP: a mesh-based multicast routing protocol with consolidated query packets

We propose a mesh-based multicast routing protocol for wireless ad hoc networks. The protocol retains all of the advantages of the on-demand multicast routing protocol (ODMRP) such as high packet delivery ratio under high mobility, high throughput. Moreover, the protocol significantly reduces control overhead, one of the main weaknesses of ODMRP, under the presence of multiple sources. This feature is a crucial contributing factor to the scalability of multicast routing for mobile ad hoc networks. The results are experimentally verified. It is shown that in the presence of high number of sources, our protocol reduces the control packet load by up to 30 percent, increases the multicast efficiency by 10 to 20 percent and improves the data delivery ratio of ODMRP.
Human performance with a seventeen-arm radial maze analog

Abstract Results using radial mazes suggest rats may have a greater short-term memory (STM) capacity than the human “magical number seven.” We examined spatial STM in humans using a radial maze analog drawn on paper. Subjects were instructed to lift, in “random” order, each of 17 cardboard flaps arranged radially around a center point. Fifteen undergraduate subjects, tested seven trials a day on 2 consecutive days, averaged 15.4 correct choices per trial. Thus, humans perform equally well on a 17-arm radial maze analog as rats do on a 17-arm radial maze, suggesting comparable spatial STM capacities, and perhaps homologous brain substrates for these tasks, in these two species.
Software Product Lines

The ICDE system is a platform for capturing and disseminating information that can be used in different application domains. However, like any generically applicable horizontal technology, its broad appeal is both a strength and weakness. The weakness stems from the fact that a user organization will need to tailor the technology to suit its application domain (e.g., finance), and make it easy for their users to learn and exploit. This takes time and money, and is hence a disincentive to adoption.
Managing the Reverse Channel with RFID‐Enabled Negative Demand Information

We analyze the inventory decisions of a manufacturer who has ample production capacity and also uses returned products to satisfy customer demand. All returned items go through an evaluation process, at the end of which the decision of disposal, direct reselling, or rework is made for each unit according to a predetermined procedure. We quantify the value of information/visibility on the reverse channel for the manufacturer by making comparisons among three approaches: No information-naive; no visibility-enlightened; and full visibility. We find the value of visibility increases with the comparative length of the reverse channel and volume, volatility, and usability of returns. Furthermore, the smarter the manufacturer, the less benefit visibility brings to the system. By this analysis, we quantify the visibility savings of radio frequency identification (RFID) in the reverse channel as a candidate enabler technology. We also provide numerical examples to show that practical approximations in inventory management may have acceptable penalties to the manufacturer with visibility.
The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS): Impetus, Rationale, and Genesis

Diarrheal disease remains one of the top 2 causes of young child mortality in the developing world. Whereas improvements in water/sanitation infrastructure and hygiene can diminish transmission of enteric pathogens, vaccines can also hasten the decline of diarrheal disease morbidity and mortality. From 1980 through approximately 2004, various case/control and small cohort studies were undertaken to address the etiology of pediatric diarrhea in developing countries. Many studies had methodological limitations and came to divergent conclusions, making it difficult to prioritize the relative importance of different pathogens. Consequently, in the first years of the millennium there was no consensus on what diarrheal disease vaccines should be developed or implemented; however, there was consensus on the need for a well-designed study to obtain information on the etiology and burden of more severe forms of diarrheal disease to guide global investment and implementation decisions. Accordingly, the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) was designed to overcome drawbacks of earlier studies and determine the etiology and population-based burden of pediatric diarrheal disease. GEMS, which includes one of the largest case/control studies of an infectious disease syndrome ever undertaken (target approximately 12,600 analyzable cases and 12,600 controls), was rolled out in 4 sites in sub-Saharan Africa (Gambia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique) and 3 in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan), with each site linked to a population under demographic surveillance (total approximately 467,000 child years of observation among children <5 years of age). GEMS data will guide investment and help prioritize strategies to mitigate the morbidity and mortality of pediatric diarrheal disease.
Deep Eddy Energy and Topographic Rossby Waves in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Observations suggest the hypothesis that deep eddy kinetic energy (EKE) in the Gulf of Mexico can be accounted for by topographic Rossby waves (TRWs). It is presumed that the TRWs are forced by Loop Current (LC) pulsation, Loop Current eddy (LCE) shedding, and perhaps also by LCE itself. Although the hypothesis is supported by model results, such as those presented in Oey, the existence of TRWs in the model and how they can be forced by larger-scale LC and LCEs with longer-period vacillations have not been clarified. In this paper, results from a 10-yr simulation of LC and LCEs, with double the resolution of that used by Oey, are analyzed to isolate the TRWs. It is shown that along an east-to-west band across the gulf, approximately over the 3000-m isobath, significant EKE that accounts for over one-half of the total spectrum is contained in the 20–100-day periods. Bottom energy intensification exists in this east–west band with vertical decay scales of about 600–300 m decreasing westward. The de...
Anxiety, Risk Preferences, Betrayal Aversion, and the Growth of Interpersonal Trust

Anxiety is often associated with poor economic outcomes, including earning 13% to 18% less than non-anxious peers. On the other hand, few studies explore how anxiety affects an individual’s economic behavior. In part, this is due to a limited focus of clinical research on the impact of psychopathology, more generally, on economic choice. It is also due to the perceived conceptual overlap of anxiety with risk aversion and betrayal aversion, well-known behavioral economic characteristics. Our laboratory experiments disentangle these factors and show that anxiety has an independent effect on decision-making and merits separate theoretical modeling and experimental treatment and investigation. More specifically, we find that anxiety and betrayal aversion independently inhibit the growth of economic trust while greater risk tolerance is associated with an overall increased level of trust. Our findings suggest that anxiety diminishes the ability to adapt in changing social economic environments such as workplaces. In addition, the behavioral regularities that we find provide the foundation for future theoretical modeling.
Carbon–sulfur bond cleavage of benzothiophene by Cp∗Co(C2H4)2

Abstract Cp∗Co(C2H4)2 was reacted with benzothiophene and C–S activation of the vinyl-sulfur bond was observed. The resulting product, [Cp∗Co]2(μ-κ2-C,S-C8H6S) was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C{1H} NMR, 13C DEPT-135 NMR, and 1H–13C 2D HSQC spectroscopies. The broad Cp∗ methyl peaks in these spectra suggested a fluxional structure.
Invocation or Apostrophe?: Rhetorical Dimensions of Prayer Idioms in Broadcast Television

Prayer is a special kind of rhetorical performance, whose sanctioned addressee is a divine agent. But prayer is also a pervasive performance of appeal and invocation operating in secular public discourse. Sustained inquiry into prayer as at once special and pervasive has received scant attention outside theology, with two notable exceptions: Kenneth Burke’s Rhetoric of Religion (1961) and William FitzGerald’s Spiritual Modalities (2012). This study extends the work of Burke and FitzGerald Prayer, to include systematic study of prayer idioms in public discourse. We present results of a search of four prayer idioms — let us pray, let’s pray, Lord have mercy, and God have mercy — from the UCLA NewsScape archive. Our first task was to distinguish invocationary acts of the divine from the more “fossilized” apostrophic (i.e. fictive) reference to the divine. A closer examination of local contexts of individual instances led us to propose a four dimensional, axiological model of prayer. Each dimension is an axis bounded by two poles: The factive/fictive axis, the pathetic axis, the ethical axis, and the attitudinal axis. Instances of prayer in public discourse often manifest alignments and misalignments along one or more of these axes.
Constructing a computing system for a school of social work: a case study

Summary This paper discusses the selection and implementation of computing systems in schools of social work. Two major groups of selection variables, those pertaining to the unique needs of the professional school and those relevant to the particular university computing environment, are identified. A case study describing a recently installed computing system for a large school of social work is then presented and the manner in which both sets of selection variables guided the design and implementation of the system is discussed.
Diversity in fathers' food parenting practices: A qualitative exploration within a heterogeneous sample.

Abstract Background Food parenting practices (FPPs) are important in shaping children's dietary behaviors. However, existing FPP knowledge is largely based on research with mothers. Purpose This study (1) identified fathers' FPPs; (2) described differences in FPP use by fathers' education and residential status. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 fathers (39 ± 9.1 years; 37.5% non-residential; 40% ≥college education). Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. NVivo 10 was used for theme detection, categorization and classification using inductive and deductive approaches. FPPs were identified and their relative distribution was examined across education and residential status. Results Twenty FPPs were identified - 13 responsive practices and 7 unresponsive practices. Having food rules was the most common responsive FPP (81.5%), followed by feeding on schedule (60%) and making healthy food accessible (60%). Common unresponsive FPPs were letting child dictate preferences (70%), incentivizing food consumption (60%) and pressuring the child to eat (35%). Compared to fathers with a college education, more fathers without a college education reported letting child dictate preferences (92% vs. 37%), educating their children about food (37% vs 12%), fewer reported feeding on schedule (50% vs. 75%), modeling healthy practices (29% vs. 50%), and using distraction to feed (4% vs. 37%). Compared to residential fathers, more non-residential fathers monitored (60% vs. 40%) or encouraged (60% vs. 36%) child food intake and let child dictate preferences (87% vs. 60%). Conclusions Fathers used an extensive variety of FPPs, similar to those identified in mothers. Further study on the influence of fathers' education and residential status on FPP use is warranted.