cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasticin, a novel type III neurofilament protein from goldfish retina: Increased expression during optic nerve regeneration

Abstract The goldfish visual pathway displays a remarkable capacity for continued development and plasticity. The intermediate filament proteins in this pathway are unexpected and atypical, suggesting these proteins provide a structure that supports growth and plasticity. Using a goldfish retina λgt10 library, we have isolated a full-length cDNA clone that encodes a novel type III intermediate filament protein. The mRNA for this protein is located in retinal ganglion cells, and its level dramatically increases during optic nerve regeneration. The protein is transported into the optic nerve within the slow phase of axonal transport. We have named this protein plasticin because it was isolated from a neuronal pathway well known for its plasticity.
Laparoscopic radical versus partial nephrectomy: assessment of complications.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluated the short-term morbidity and complications of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) compared with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN).Materials and Methods: From May 1998 to May 2002, 114 patients were identified with a single unilateral sporadic renal tumor and a normal contralateral kidney. These individuals had undergone LRN (35) or LPN (79).Results: The LRN and LPN groups were analyzed for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists score and body mass index. Mean tumor size in patients undergoing LRN and LPN was 2.8 ± 1.2 (range 0.9 to 4.5) and 2.5 ± 1.0 cm (range 1 to 4.5), respectively (p = 0.17). There were no differences between the 2 groups in terms of mean hospital stay, blood transfusion or surgical complications. There was no difference in mean preoperative and postoperative serum creatinine in patients in the LPN group. Mean postoperative serum creatinine was significantly higher than the mean preoperative level in patients in the LRN group (1.51 ± 0.22 ...
Wavelength-locked, two-stage fibre Fabry-Perot filter for dense wavelength division demultiplexing in erbium-doped fibre amplifier spectrum

Insertion loss of 5.6 dB and finesse greater than 2000 within a 40 nm tuning range are demonstrated in a wavelengthlocked, two-stage fibre Fabry–Perot filter capable of separating 1000 channels in an erbium-doped fibre amplifier spectrum.
Applicability of Reference Electrode Types in Transient Electrochemical Experiments

Abstract The high impedance associated with many reference electrodes can complicate transient electrochemical experiments. To overcome some of these difficulties, some researchers have adopted a d...
Restructuring Educational Leadership Programs

Administrators who want to gain respect as effective, resourceful, and innovative leaders must acquire new skills, this writer warns.
542 DIETARY THERAPY OF ORNITHINE TRANSCARBAMYLASE (OTC) DEFICIENCY

Keto acid dietary therapy of complete OTC deficiency in one male resulted in survival to 5 months of age (Pediatr. Res. 11: 511, 1977). We are treating similarly a male who presented with hyperammonemic coma at 3 days of age. The family history was positive and liver OTC activity was <0.1% of normal. Acute therapy relied on peritoneal dialysis. A major change in the dietary therapy has been severe protein restriction with the milk protein/kg/d progressively decreased from 1.09 gm at 3 weeks of age to 0.16 gm by 6 months. The intake of free amino acids has been adjusted frequently to 0.62 gm/kg/d of amino acids and 1.12 gm/kg/d of keto acids. Although the milk protein plus amino acid intake is now only 0.78 gm/kg/d, the minimum nitrogen intake for growth in patients with urea cycle defects is unknown. At 6 months of age the patient's weight was in the 50%ile and length slightly above the 3%ile. Developmental quotient was 50, which could be attributable to severe neonatal difficulties. Hematocrit was 40.4%, Hgb 11.5 gm/dl, total protein 6.2 gm/dl, and albumin 3.7 gm/dl. Serum glutamine has been a more sensitive index for dietary management than has blood ammonia which has remained normal since the neonatal period. Slight increases in glutamine have responded to increase in keto acid intake.
A partitioned parallel Runge‐Kutta method for weakly coupled ordinary differential equations

In many systems it is known a priori, that some states are ony weakly coupled with others. If such systems are solved on parallel processor it is possible to partition the states in such a way that one set of states is assigned to one processor and the other set of weakly coupled states to another. Computations can then be done in parallel. Because of the weak coupling it may not be necessary for information from the two sets to be communicated to each other for many integration steps. This can result in significant cost savings. In this paper, a partitined Runge—Kutta scheme is formulated for use on weakly coupleld systems of ordinary differential equations. An error expression is derived which provides a means for predicting the number of step sizes over which the partitioned formulas can be used in terms of a prespecified error tolerance. Numerical examples are presented both to verify the error expressions and to compare solutions using partitioned and unpartitioned schemes.
Prevailing wage legislation and public school construction efficiency: a stochastic frontier approach1

Stochastic frontier regression is used to examine the effect of introducing prevailing wage legislation on public school construction efficiency in British Columbia. Prior to the legislation, public school projects were from 16% to 19% smaller, in terms of square feet, than comparable private structures. However, likelihood ratio tests consistently indicate that the coefficients measuring the effect of the policy on the size differential between covered and uncovered projects are not statistically different from zero. These results suggest that construction wage requirements did not alter input utilisation in a way that significantly affected construction output. Average inefficiency for school construction in British Columbia over the period of the study is 12.1%.
Effect of Streptozotocin on Qualitative Aspects of Plasma Insulin in a Patient with a Malignant Islet Cell Tumor

ABSTRACT The effect of Streptozotocin on qualitative aspects of insulin secretion was studied in a patient with an islet cell carcinoma. A dramatic clinical response to chemotherapy with regression in liver size and cessation of hypoglycemic attacks was observed in this patient despite minimal change in plasma IRI concentrations. Streptozotocin treatment reduced the unusually large proportion of “big” insulin at 1, 2 and 3 hr after oral glucose. The use of “big” insulin as a marker for abnormal insulin biosynthesis and release is discussed. Abnormal insulins with variable immunoactivity and bioactivity may be formed and might explain both the abnormal glucose tolerance tests and the frequency of hypoglycemia without elevated plasma IRI in patients with islet cell tumors.
Comparative study of normal, Crouzon, and Apert craniofacial morphology using finite element scaling analysis.

Finite element scaling analysis is used to study differences in morphology between the craniofacial complex of normal individuals and those affected with the syndromes of Apert and Crouzon. Finite element scaling quantifies the differences in shape and size between forms without reference to any fixed, arbitrary registration point or orientation line and measures the amount of form change required to deform one object into another. Two dimensional coordinates of landmarks digitized from annual sets of cephalo-metric radiographs were used in the analysis. A simple tabulation shows no difference in variances between the normal and pathological samples. A test of mean differences depicts the Apert and Crouzon morphologies as significantly different from normal. The Apert palate differs from normal in shape in the older age groups analyzed, and palatal size differences are most common at the posterior nasal spine. The Apert pituitary fossa and basi-occiput are significantly larger than normal. The Crouzon pituitary fossa is also larger than normal, but the difference is not always significant. The typical morphology of the Crouzon nose is due more to differences in shape than size. The Crouzon basi-occiput is significantly smaller than normal. An age association of the differences between the normal and pathological craniofacies was found in Apert syndrome but not in Crouzon syndrome. Apert syndrome is characterized by a more homogeneous pattern of craniofacial dysmorphology from 6 months to 18 years of age than Crouzon syndrome.
Loss of T cell precursors after spaceflight and exposure to vector-averaged gravity

Using fetal thymus organ culture (FTOC), we examined the effects of spaceflight and vector-averaged gravity on T cell development. Under both conditions, the development of T cells was significantly attenuated. Exposure to spaceflight for 16 days resulted in a loss of precursors for CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+CD8+ T cells in a rat/mouse xenogeneic co-culture. A significant decrease in the same precursor cells, as well as a decrease in CD4-CD8- T cell precursors, was also observed in a murine C57BL/6 FTOC after rotation in a clinostat to produce a vector-averaged microgravity-like environment. The block in T cell development appeared to occur between the pre-T cell and CD4+CD8+ T cell stage. These data indicate that gravity plays a decisive role in the development of T cells.
SCIIB pressure sensors for oil extraction applications

Efficient and complete recovery of petroleum reserves from existing oil wells has proven difficult due to a lack of robust information that can monitor processes in the downhole environment. Commercially available sensors for measurement of pressure, temperature, and fluid flow exhibit lifetimes in the harsh downhole conditions, which are characterized by high pressure (up to 20 kpsi), temperatures up to 250 degree(s)C, and exposure to chemically reactive fluids. Development of robust sensors that deliver continuous, real- time data on reservoir performance and petroleum flow pathways will facilitate application of advanced recovery technologies, including horizontal and multi-lateral wells. We describe the development and fabrication of pressure, temperature, and flow sensors designed for the downhole environment, based on the Self-Calibrated Interferometric/Intensity-Based configuration, which combines the high sensitivity of interferometric sensors with the high-speed of intensity-based sensors. By splitting the output of a Fabry-Perot sensor into two channels with differing coherence, unwanted perturbations, such as source power fluctuations and variations in fiber loss, may be compensated. Results of laboratory tests of prototype sensors demonstrate excellent resolution and accuracy.
Stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation of RC elements under cyclic shear

Abstract A new Cyclic oftened embrane odel (CSMM) was recently developed to predict the stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation of reinforced concrete (RC) elements subjected to reversed cyclic shear. Using the nonlinear finite element analysis, we can integrate these responses of elements to predict the behavior of a whole structure, such as a low-rise shear wall, subjected to earthquake action. This study of CSMM summarizes systematically the effects of the two primary variables: the steel bar angle with respect to the direction of the applied principal stresses and the steel percentage. The results clearly show that RC structures under cyclic shear stresses could be designed to be very ductile, have large stiffness, and possess high energy-dissipation capacities (just like flexural-dominated elements), if the steel bars are properly oriented in the directions of principal stresses and if the steel percentages are kept within certain limits.
The contrasting effects of cyclosporin-A and azathioprine on arterial blood pressure and renal function following cardiac transplantation☆

The effects of cyclosporin-A and azathioprine on the postoperative development of systemic hypertension and renal dysfunction in patients undergoing cardiac transplantation were compared retrospectively in 18 patients receiving cyclosporin-A and in 12 patients receiving azathioprine. Twelve months postoperatively, the average mean blood pressure was 116 ± 13 mm Hg and 98 ± 7.5 mm Hg; the average preoperative serum creatinine was 1.2 ± 0.3 mg% and 1.5 ± 0.3 mg%; and the postoperative serum creatinine was 2.2 ± 0.8 mg% and 1.1 ± 0.2 mg% (P < 0.0001) in the cyclosporin-A-and azathioprine-treated groups respectively. Hemodynamic studies were done to characterize the de novo postoperative hypertension developing in the cyclosporin-A group. The pre- and postoperative cardiac output was 3.7 and 4.9 l/min, respectively (P 0.2). Peripheral renin activity and 24-hour urinary catecholamine excretion were not elevated. The mechanism of the hypertension developing in cyclosporin-A-treated patients is unknown, but is associated with normalization of cardiac output, an abnormally elevated systemic vascular resistance, and modest impairment of renal function. These findings are in marked contrast to azathioprine-treated patients, in whom postoperative hypertension and renal dysfunction do not occur. These observations implicate cyclosporin-A as the major contributing factor in the development of hypertension and renal dysfunction.
Mapping bone cancer death rates in Pennsylvania counties

Abstract Computer graphics of areal death rates permit “eyeballing” spatial variations. Such projections help in finding “hotspots” or broader geographic trends. This paper examines the reliability of different arrangements of a single data set, bone cancer deaths by county in Pennsylvania 1960–1976. For this uncommon disease repeat reliability between two component time periods is low. Furthermore, although correlation between two summary indexes—directly adjusted death rate and years of life lost—is high ( r = 0.8), there are notable differences between the lists of areas high for each. Bone cancer deaths in Pennsylvania have no reliable and statistically significant highs or lows; aggregations of countries are also blurry. Using data for a rare disease minimizes reliability in this example. Even so, the reliability of geographic series should be thoroughly examined before they are used to explore environmental cause hypotheses.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND TEACHER EDUCATION

(1975). COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND TEACHER EDUCATION. The Review of Education: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 120-123.
Moisture content in proteins: its effects and measurement

Residual moisture content has a significant impact on the solid-state stability of biopharmaceutical products. Protein degradation due to residual moisture is minimal at or below the monolayer level of hydration owing to low availability of water and limited dynamic activity of the protein. However, residual moisture content beyond a monolayer generally results in increased rates of decomposition due to the enhanced conformational flexibility of the protein and the ability of the less tightly bound water to mobilize reactants. In addition to moisture content, the temperature and the composition of the lyophilized plug are important variables dictating the stability of proteins in the amorphous solid state. Water can act as a plasticizer to reduce the glass transition temperature, Tg, of the amorphous polymer, thus an increase in temperature or plasticizer level can result in a phase transition from a dynamically constrained state to a dynamically relaxed state. The selection of excipients can have a large impact on water-protein interactions as small ions and/or crystallization of excipients can redistribute water available to the protein. Owing to the key role that water content plays in the conformational and/or chemical state of the protein, an accurate and precise moisture determination is essential in resolving stability issues. A wide variety of techniques for the determination of moisture content have been utilized, with special attention being placed on sample handling to minimize atmospheric moisture contamination.
Cyclooxygenase-2 in the kidney: good, BAD, or both?

Hypertonic stress in the kidney inner medulla is common, yet inner medullary cells adapt to limit cell death. Kuper et al. have identified a cell-survival response by which increased cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) stimulates a prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 )/protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated inactivation of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD. However, the PGE 2 /PKA pathway is not the only means to inactivate BAD and limit cell death. This Commentary shows a broader picture of this pathway to examine the kidney's BAD options.
Prediction of the pulse-height spectral distortion caused by the peak pile-up effect

Abstract A method is developed for calculating the distortion in pulse-height spectra obtained from spectrometry systems caused by the peak pulse pile-up effect. A general expression for double pulse coincidences is derived from the interval distribution for calculating the observed spectrum in terms of the true (undistorted) spectrum, the allowable pulse width, and the pulse shape. A specific model with explicit solution is obtained by assuming that the pulse shape is parabolic. Good agreement is obtained between this model and experimental data on a specific system which has a pulse shape that is approximately parabolic. An iterative procedure can be employed with the present model to obtain true spectra from observed spectra that contain considerable pulse pile-up.
Strengthening the Systemic Ties that Bind: Integrating Common Factors into Marriage and Family Therapy Curricula

Specific models guide the training of marriage and family therapists (MFTs) as they offer both structure and organization for both therapists and clients. Learning models may also benefit therapists-in-training by instilling confidence and preventing atheoretical eclecticism. The moderate common factors perspective argues that models are essential, but should not be taught as "the absolute truth," given there is no evidence for relative efficacy of one empirically validated model versus another, and no single model works in all instances. The following article provides a blueprint for infusing a common factors perspective into MFT programmes by reviewing innovations in course design, outlining specific teaching strategies, and highlighting potential implementation challenges.
Reason for a Renaissance: The Rhetoric of Reformation and Rebirth in the Age of Transcendentalism

The term American Renaissance, commonly thought to have been coined in the twentieth century, actually originated with the transcendentalists themselves, with writers like William Ellery Channing, ...
An assessment of thermodynamic reaction constants for simulating aqueous environmental monomethylmercury speciation

ABSTRACTMonomethylmercury (CH3Hg +) is both the most ecologically significant and the least well characterized species of mercury in environmental settings. Our understanding of the environmental speciation behavior of this compound is limited both as the result of lesser available laboratory data (when compared to inorganic mercury) as well as the uncertainties associated with our understanding of the properties of environmental ligands. A careful examination and synthesis of data reported in the technical literature led to the following findings: (1) a 25°C, zero ionic strength bicarbonate ion complexation constant estimate is remarkably close to an earlier reported value at 0.4 M: CH3Hg+ + HCo3-⇔CH3HgHCO3,log10K = 2.6 (±0.22, 1 SD), (2) three 25°C zero ionic strength reaction constants reported by DeRobertis et al.(1998) were confirmed to within ~±0.1 log10K units: CH3Hg ++ OH-⇔CH3HgOH, log10K = 9.47; 2CH3Hg + + H2O⇔(CH3Hg)2OH + + H+, log10K =−2.15; CH3Hg ++ Cl-⇔CH3HgCl, log10K = 5.45, (3) “best estima...
Confidence intervals for variance components in unbalanced one-way random effects model using non-normal distributions

Abstract In scenarios where the variance of a response variable can be attributed to two sources of variation, a confidence interval for a ratio of variance components gives information about the relative importance of the two sources. For example, if measurements taken from different laboratories are nine times more variable than the measurements taken from within the laboratories, then 90% of the variance in the responses is due to the variability amongst the laboratories and 10% of the variance in the responses is due to the variability within the laboratories. Assuming normally distributed sources of variation, confidence intervals for variance components are readily available. In this paper, however, simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of confidence intervals under non-normal distribution assumptions. Confidence intervals based on the pivotal quantity method, fiducial inference, and the large-sample properties of the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimator are considered. Simulation results and an empirical example suggest that the REML-based confidence interval is favored over the other two procedures in unbalanced one-way random effects model.
GRAPHICAL APPLICATIONS IN THE ANALYSIS OF CROSSOVER DESIGNS IN FOOD SENSORY STUDIES

Graphs useful in exploratory data analysis for checking assumptions and evaluating treatment, sequence, and period effects in a linear model from a crossover design are discussed. In particular, a two-period, two-treatment crossover design of a food sensory study is used to illustrate the applications of these graphs.
2009 Marie Curie Prize lecture: Linearity at low dose is a religious belief

Health standards for ionising radiation and genotoxic chemical carcinogens are based on the assumption of a linear response at low doses. Exposures to such agents are therefore harmful regardless of how low the exposure is. The belief in linearity at low dose is also directly tied to and inseparable from two other concepts, that is, such exposures result in cumulative damage and are always deleterious. Thus, the Trinitarian mantra of the modern regulatory agency is linearity, cumulative and always deleterious. The author suggests that this is no less than a religion even though its followers have deluded themselves into believing it is a science. But science is not religion and religion is not science. In the end, humanity will be better served if our scientists and regulators would know the difference and act accordingly.
Local gauge invariance and broken symmetry in superfluid helium

Abstract Full Galilean invariance is restored to the Gross-Pitaevskii model of He II by the introduction of “Yang-Mills” transverse collective modes.
Unconventional warfare philosophers

The philosophies of unconventional warfare philosophers can be divided into four schools. The classicists, or early school, represented by Sun Tzu and his ‘indirect approach’, have existed for thousands of years. Marxist‐Leninist revolutionaries gave new emphasis to unconventional warfare as a vehicle for revolution. The theories of these philosophers of the middle school were opposed by those of counterrevolutionaries. With the end of the Cold War, a new strategic environment is emerging, giving rise to new school philosophers reacting to that challenge. They include both those who seek to undermine the nation‐state and those, who, like the earlier counter‐revolutionaries, seek to defend and promote its interests.
CO substitution in H4Ru4(CO)12 by the diphosphine ligands 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (dppbz) and 1,8-bis(diphenylphosphino)naphthalene (dppn): X-ray diffraction structures of the diphosphine-chelated clusters 1,1-H4Ru4(CO)10(dppbz) and 1,1-H4Ru4(CO)10(dppn)

Abstract The reaction of the diphosphine ligands 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (dppbz) and 1,8-bis(diphenylphosphino)naphthalene (dppn) with the hydride-bridged cluster H4Ru4(CO)12 (1) has been investigated under thermal and Me3NO activation conditions. Both activation methods furnish the diphosphine-substituted clusters 1,1-H4Ru4(CO)10(P–P) (where P–P = dppbz, dppn) as the sole isolable products. The chelating coordination mode adopted by the ancillary diphosphine ligands has been confirmed by NMR spectroscopies and X-ray crystallography. The stability of the new clusters 1,1-H4Ru4(CO)10(dppbz) and 1,1-H4Ru4(CO)10(dppn) has been examined, and both clusters have been found to be stable at elevated temperatures in toluene and extended near-UV photolysis.
Suppression of the positive feedback of estradiol benzoate on gonadotropin secretion by an inhibitory analog of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) in oophorectomized rhesus monkeys: evidence for a necessary synergism between LRH and estrogens.

Estrogens have a biphasic effect on gonadotropin (FSH and LH) secretion in human and nonhuman primates. Recent studies suggest that estrogens induce negative as well as positive feedback on gonadotropin secretion by a direct action at the pituitary gland. To further investigate the mechanism by which estrogens modulate gonadotropin secretion, the following experiments were performed. Oophorectomized rhesus monkeys were injected with estradiol benzoate (EB) at a dose of 40 μg/kg sc at zero time (controls). Three groups of animals received, additionally, an inhibitory analog of LRH, [Ac-D-p-Cl-Phe1,2, DTrp3,D-Arg6-Ala10]LRH (200 μg, sc, daily) at 1) –48 to 48 h, 2) 0–48 h, and 3) 24–48 h from EB treatment, respectively. Blood was collected at –72, –48, –24, and 0 h, every 6 h from 6–84 h, and 96 and 116 h after EB; FSH and LH levels were measured by RIA. Control animals had a 70–80% decrease in baseline FSH and LH levels during the first 24 h after EB injection, followed by a sharp rise to 60–80% above basa...
On the conditions of convergence for one class of methods used for the solution of ill-posed problems

We propose a new class of projection methods for the solution of ill-posed problems with inaccurately specified coefficients. For methods from this class, we establish the conditions of convergence to the normal solution of an operator equation of the first kind. We also present additional conditions for these methods guaranteeing the convergence with a given rate to normal solutions from a certain set.
Micellar effects upon electron transfer from ferrocenes

The oxidations of ferrocene (FcH) and n-butylferrocene (FcBu) by ferric salts (nitrate or bromide) are strongly inhibited by aqueous cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and nitrate (CTABr and CTANO3, respectively). The kinetics of inhibition fit a model in which the substrates are distributed between water, and the micelles and binding constants Ks to the micelle can be estimated. The oxidations are strongly catalyzed by micelles of sodium lauryl sulfate (NaLS), and the kinetics can be fitted to a model in which the reaction rate depends upon the concentration of both reactants in the micellar pseudophase and the rate constants in that pseudophase, which for both substrates are very similar to those in water. Some added salts reduce the micellar catalysis by excluding ferric ions from the micelle. The oxidations of FcH and FcBu by ferricyanide ions are too fast to be followed in water, but they are inhibited by anionic micelles of NaLS. By analyzing the rate surfactant profiles using independently measured values of Ks the second-order rate constants in water have been estimated.
Discourse Ethics and Moral Rationalism

RESUME: La pensee ethique de Jurgen Habermas et Karl-Otto Apel peut-elle nous fournir une facon de montrer que la moralite repond a un besoin rationnel? Ma reponse, malheureusement, est que non, elle ne le peut pas. Je defends cet argument en montrant qu'une objection decisive a ce courant de pensee, tel qu'il est presente par Alan Gerwirth Raison et Moralite, s'applique aussi aux arguments ethiques qui essaient de prouver leur lien incontournable avec un principe moral.
Intra-school competition and student achievement

Within the economics of education literature, numerous studies have investigated the relationship between educational market competition and educational achievement. Educational market competition has been defined as either the availability of vouchers within a community or the number of schools or school districts within the relevant market structure. While these studies have shown that increases in inter-district competition result in increased student achievement, no studies, to our knowledge, have yet investigated the effect of intra-school competition on student achievement. Within this study, a measure of intra-school competition is developed and the findings indicate that increased intra-school competition leads to increased student achievement.
Unreliable Water Access in U.S. Mobile Homes: Evidence From the American Housing Survey

Unreliable water access significantly impairs household health and welfare. While press and policy reports suggest that residents of mobile home communities in the United States experience unreliable water access, scholarly examination of this issue has been lacking. Using data from the 2011 American Housing Survey, we first present descriptive evidence of disparities in water service reliability and then construct a binary logit regression model assessing the correlates of reliable provision. We find that living in a mobile home unit, and especially in a mobile home park, is significantly and negatively correlated with water service reliability. Our findings demonstrate the need for future research to assess the mechanisms of water service reliability within mobile home parks, as well as the relationship between living in a mobile home and other dimensions of household water security.
Permanent Hearing Loss With Iopamidol Following Aortic Angiography in a Hemodialysis Patient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Nonionic low-osmolar contrast agents are considered safe for intravenous or intra-arterial administration and are used widely in the general population, as well as in patients on hemodialysis therapy. There are data limited to case reports for contrast-induced hearing loss; however, the ototoxicity induced by contrast agents in patients with chronic kidney disease has never been described. We report a case of permanent sensorineural deafness after abdominal aortic angiography with iopamidol in a woman with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis therapy and review the literature relating to contrast use with the development of hearing impairment.
Protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes: Characteristics of a Met-tRNAfMet binding factor

Abstract Three factors (IF 1 , IF 2 , IF 3 ) resolved by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography of the crude reticulocyte ribosomal salt wash (I fraction), stimulated poly r(U-G) directed methionine transfer from Met-tRNA f Met into the terminal positions of the synthesized polypeptides. All three factors were necessary for maximum methionine transfer. A protein factor that is also present in the I fraction and elutes similarly to IF 1 on DEAE-cellulose chromatography, binds Met-tRNA f Met in the presence of GTP. The complex formed is quantitatively retained on Millipore filter. This complex formation is specific for Met-tRNA f Met . Other amino acyl tRNAs tested such as Met-tRNA m Met , Phe-tRNA Phe and Val-tRNA Val do not form a similar complex. With Met-tRNA f Met , complex formation does not require Mg ++ ion or AUG codon and is inhibited by the addition of ribosomes.
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALLINE URANIUM FROM LINEAR COMBINATION OF GAUSSIAN-TYPE ORBITALS CALCULATIONS

Scalar-relativistic linear combinations of Gaussian-type orbitals-fitting function (LCGTO-FF) calculations, using the local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to density functional theory, were used to determine the atomic volumes, bulk moduli, and relative stabilities of uranium in the fcc, bcc, and {alpha}-U (orthorhombic) phases. The {alpha}-U phase is found to be the most stable, in agreement with experiment. The LDA yields an atomic volume that is about 7% smaller than experiment, while the GGA produces near perfect agreement with experiment. The numerical stability of the LCGTO-FF results is tested by comparison with a similar series of scalar-relativistic calculations using the full-potential linearized augmented planewave (FLAPW) method. The results obtained with the two methods are in excellent agreement, demonstrating the ability of the LCGTO-FF method to address the properties of a light actinide metal in its low-symmetry {alpha} phase.
Effects of Role Assignment and Verbal Interaction on Accuracy and Overconfidence in Interpersonal Judgment1

In an experiment designed to test the effects of role assignment and verbal interaction on accuracy and overconfidence in interpersonal judgment, subjects estimated the questionnaire responses of a randomly assigned partner and assessed their confidence in each estimate. Ninety-five subjects were assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (role vs. no-role) by 2 (verbal interaction vs. no-interaction) design. Results indicated that accuracy was positively related to the weight subjects gave to their own responses in estimating the other person's responses, and both role assignment and verbal interaction caused subjects to give less weight to their own responses. Because they gave less weight to their own responses, subjects in the role conditions were less accurate than those in the no-role conditions, and this reduction in accuracy resulted in greater overconfidence and worse calibration. Practical implications of these results are discussed.
An update on the effects of playing violent video games

This article presents a brief overview of existing research on the effects of exposure to violent video games. An updated meta-analysis reveals that exposure to violent video games is significantly linked to increases in aggressive behaviour, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, and cardiovascular arousal, and to decreases in helping behaviour. Experimental studies reveal this linkage to be causal. Correlational studies reveal a linkage to serious, real-world types of aggression. Methodologically weaker studies yielded smaller effect sizes than methodologically stronger studies, suggesting that previous meta-analytic studies of violent video games underestimate the true magnitude of observed deleterious effects on behaviour, cognition, and affect.
Disentangling the Ultrafiltration Rate–Mortality Association: The Respective Roles of Session Length and Weight Gain

Summary Background and objectives Rapid ultrafiltration rate is associated with increased mortality among hemodialysis patients. Ultrafiltration rates are determined by interdialytic weight gain and session length. Although both interdialytic weight gain and session length have been linked to mortality, the relationship of each to mortality, independent of the other, is not adequately defined. This study was designed to evaluatewhether shorter session length independent of weight gain and larger weight gain independent of session length are associated with increased mortality. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Data were taken from a national cohort of 14,643 prevalent, thriceweekly,in-centerhemodialysispatientsdialyzingfrom2005to2009(mediansurvivaltime,25months)atasingle dialysis organization. Patients with adequate urea clearance and delivered dialysis session $240 and ,240 minutes were pair-matched on interdialytic weight gain (n=1794), and patients with weight gain # 3a nd. 3k g were pair-matched on session length (n=2114); mortality associations were estimated separately. Results Compared with delivered session length $240, session length ,240 minutes was associated with increased all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.32 [1.03 to 1.69]). Compared with weight gain #3, weight gain .3 kg was associated with increased mortality (1.29 [1.01 to 1.65]). The associations were consistent across strata of age, sex, weight, and weight gain and session length. Secondary analyses demonstrated dose-response relationships between both and mortality. Conclusions Among patients with adequate urea clearance, shorter dialysis session length and greater interdialytic weight gain are associated with increased mortality; thus, both are viable targets for directed intervention.
Using massively parallel simulation for MPI collective communication modeling in extreme-scale networks

MPI collective operations are a critical and frequently used part of most MPI-based large-scale scientific applications. In previous work, we have enabled the Rensselaer Optimistic Simulation System (ROSS) to predict the performance of MPI point-to-point messaging on high-fidelity million-node network simulations of torus and dragonfly interconnects. The main contribution of this work is an extension of these torus and dragonfly network models to support MPI collective communication operations using the optimistic event scheduling capability of ROSS. We demonstrate that both small- and large-scale ROSS collective communication models can execute efficiency on massively parallel architectures. We validate the results of our collective communication model against the measurements from IBM Blue Gene/Q and Cray XC30 platforms using a data-driven approach on our network simulations. We also perform experiments to explore the impact of tree degree on the performance of collective communication operations in large-scale network models.
Ras reduces L-type calcium channel current in cardiac myocytes: Corrective effects of L-channels and SERCA2 on [Ca2+]i regulation and cell morphology

Heart failure is associated with dysregulation of intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)), reduction in myofibrils, and increased activation of Ras, a regulator of signal-transduction pathways. To evaluate the potential effects of Ras on [Ca(2+)](i), we expressed constitutively active Ras (Ha-Ras(V12)) in cardiac myocytes and monitored [Ca(2+)](i) via fluorescence and electrophysiological techniques. Ha-Ras(V12) reduced the magnitude of the contractile calcium transients. Unexpectedly, however, calcium loading of the sarcoplasmic reticulum was increased, suggesting that Ha-Ras(V12) introduces a defect in excitation-calcium release coupling. Consistent with this idea, L-channel calcium currents were reduced by Ha-Ras(V12), which also downregulated the activity of the L-channel gene promoter. Coexpression of L-channels and SERCA2 largely corrected Ha-Ras(V12)-induced dysregulation of [Ca(2+)](i). Furthermore, whereas Ha-Ras(V12) downregulated myofibrils, this effect was blocked by coexpression of L-channels. These results suggest that Ras downregulates L-channel expression, which may play a pathophysiological role in cardiac disease.
Laser Doppler measurements of cochlear blood flow during loud sound exposure in the guinea pig

This investigation examined the effects of loud sound of different frequencies and intensities on cochlear blood flow as measured by the laser Doppler flowmeter. Cochlear blood flow was measured in anesthetized guinea pigs during a l h exposure to either a 2, 4, or 12 kHz pure tone or high-pass noise (10–40 kHz) at 90, 103, or 110 dB SPL. Cochlear function was assessed using the compound action potential audiogram before and after exposure. There was no change in blood flow in the second turn with a 2, 4, or 12 kHz tone but there was a significant (P < 0.05) decline in flow in the first cochlear turn at the end of either the 12 kHz tone or high-pass noise exposure at 103 and 110 dB SPL. There were elevations in the thresholds of the cochlear compound action potential after all but the 90 dB exposures to 12 kHz or high-pass noise. No such changes were observed in blood flow or electrophysiology in control animals. These findings demonstrate that there is a small but significant decline in cochlear blood flow with high intensity sound exposure. However, the relationship between this change in blood flow and the development of cochlear damage is unclear.
Mechanism of fluid transport across corneal endothelium and other epithelial layers: a possible explanation based on cyclic cell volume regulatory changes

Maintenance of normal corneal transparency and the possible loss of it in disease continue to be relevant clinical issues. The possibility of control of corneal hydration (hence transparency) by the active intervention of the corneal limiting layers was raised for the first time by Davson in an article in the BJO in 1949.1 Thanks to the discovery of endothelial fluid transport by Maurice2 and the contributions of, among others, Mishima,3 Dikstein,4Fischbarg,5 Hodson,6 Green,7Edelhauser,8 Wiederholt,9 Riley,10Bonanno,11 and their colleagues, it is clear that the corneal endothelium dehydrates the cornea and contributes to the maintenance of its transparency. Such understanding and the fact that endothelial cells do not divide in humans has led to substantial advances in the way the endothelial layer is treated during surgery or is preserved before transplantation. Still, endothelial loss of function or decompensation continues to be a clinical problem, which raises the question of whether what has been gained in recent basic knowledge can now be put to renewed clinical or therapeutic use. In this context, after nearly five decades since the modern chapter of endothelial function began, it seems fitting to ask once more how this layer might function. The endothelium is but one example of many fluid transporting epithelial layers in the rest of the eye, the human body, and nature in general. Aside from discharging crucial functions, there is another peculiarity these layers share—it is not known how they transport fluid. A seminal observation was made by Curran and Solomon12 that translayer transport of electrolytes precedes and results in translayer water transfer. However, the precise cellular mechanism by which electrolyte transport is coupled to water transfer (‘solute–solvent coupling’) has remained obscure.13 It is an important question, arguably the …
Treatment of hypertension in the elderly

Investigation of preventive measures for hypertension and atherosclerosis is a geriatric medicine priority. While the causes of both isolated systolic hypertension and conventional systolic and diastolic hypertension in the elderly are well defined, the benefits of lowering blood pressure are not. Evidence to support the treatment of symptomatic hypertension is convincing for men 60 years of age; it is not for women in this age group. The need to treat hypertension, particularly isolated systolic hypertension in patients above 75 years old, is still not resolved. Isolated systolic hypertension in older patients is at least as strong a risk factor for cardiovascular disease as is diastolic hypertension. Ongoing trials may answer these questions; in the meantime, drug therapy in this group will vary widely. The elderly hypertensive is more likely than the younger hypertensive to have other diseases; diagnosis of these disorders is crucial. Hypertension arising de novo late in life warrants a search for underlying and possibly remedial causes. Antihypertensive drug therapy to relieve symptoms is difficult to justify, because most elderly hypertensive patients are asymptomatic; however, it has been shown to delay morbid and fatal complications of hypertension. Appropriate therapy for the elderly hypertensive must be individualized and should be associated with few or no side effects. The thiazides are the preferred diuretics for long-term treatment of hypertension in the elderly. Beta blockers are attractive because they are cardioprotective, counter the end organ effect of catecholamines and reduce angina; however, some decrease cardiac output, increase peripheral resistance, decrease renal blood flow and cause fatigue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Meta-Study of Publication Patterns for the Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin From 2001 to 2012

We conducted a meta-study of research articles published in Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin from 2001 to 2012. Variables associated with authors (biological sex, setting, domicile) and study characteristics (sample and research methodology) were coded and analyzed across groups of 4-year publication periods. Our findings and related implications for the rehabilitation counseling profession are discussed.
Dynamic bitmap index recompression through workload-based optimizations

Many large-scale read-only databases and data warehouses use bitmap indices in an effort to speed up data analysis. These indices have the dual properties of compressibility and being able to leverage fast bit-wise operations for query processing. Numerous hybrid run-length encoding compression schemes have been proposed that greatly compress the index and enable querying without the need to decompress. Typically, these schemes align their compression with the computer architecture's word size to further accelerate queries.Previously, we introduced Variable Length Compression (VLC), which uses a general encoding that can achieve better compression than word-aligned schemes. However, VLC's querying efficiency can vary widely due to mismatched alignment of compressed columns. In this paper, we present an optimizer which recompresses the bitmap over time. Based on query history, our approach allows the VLC user to specify the priority of compression versus query efficiency, then possibly recompress the bitmap accordingly. In an empirical study using scientific data sets, we showed that our approach was able to achieve both better compression ratios and query speedup over WAH and PLWAH. On the largest data set, our VLC optimizer compressed up to 1.73x better than WAH, and 1.46x over PLWAH. We also show a slight improvement in query efficiency in most experiments, while observing lucrative (11x to 16x) speedup in special cases.
Life cycle comparison of traditional retail and e-commerce logistics for electronic products: A case study of buy.com

This analysis compares e-commerce versus traditional retail systems energy use and greenhouse gas emissions through a case study of a product chosen to represent the retail process. We conclude that e-commerce has lower energy use and GHG emissions for our case study.
Design of yielding metallic and friction dampers for optimal seismic performance

This paper deals with the optimal design of yielding metallic dampers and friction dampers together as they both have similar design characteristics and parameters. Ample tests and analytical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of these energy dissipation devices for seismic response control and protection of building structures. Since these devices are strongly non-linear with several parameters controlling their behaviour, their current design procedures are usually cumbersome and not optimal. In this paper, a methodology is presented to determine the optimal design parameters for the devices installed at different locations in a building for a desired performance objective. For a yielding metallic damper, the design parameters of interest are the device yield level, device stiffness, and brace stiffness. For a friction device, the parameters are the slip load level and brace stiffness. Since the devices and the structures installed with these devices behave in a highly non-linearly manner, and thus must be evaluated by a step-by-step time history approach, the genetic algorithm is used to obtain the globally optimal solution. This optimal search approach allows an unusual flexibility in the choice of performance objectives. For demonstration purposes, several sets of numerical examples of optimal damper designs with different performance objectives are presented. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.