cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: Time of Onset of Visual Loss

Purpose To study time of day and seasonal variation of onset of visual loss in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION). Methods From 1975 to 1995, we prospectively investigated the time of discovery of visual loss in 635 patients (871 eyes) with AION—a total of 925 episodes. Data were analyzed for two variables: time of day of discovery of visual loss for 544 episodes and seasonal variation of the onset of AION for 839 episodes. Results Of 544 episodes, time of day for discovery of visual loss was upon awakening from sleep in the morning or a nap in 282 (51.8%), during the first opportunity to use vision critically early in the morning in 117 (21.5%), and later in the day in 145 (26.7%). AION was significantly ( P = .0030) more frequent in summer than winter. Estimated monthly onset rates were 82.7 episodes (95% confidence interval [CI], 71.3 to 95.8) in summer, 58.3 (95% CI, 48.9 to 69.6) in winter, 66.0 (95% CI, 55.9 to 77.9) in spring, and 72.7 (95% CI, 62.1 to 85.1) in fall. Onset significantly ( P Conclusions In at least 399 (73.3%) of 544 episodes of AION, patients discovered visual loss upon first awakening or at first opportunity to use vision critically after sleeping, suggesting that nocturnal arterial hypotension may play an important role. Also, AION developed more often in summer than in winter.
A STACKELBERG MODEL OF CHILD SUPPORT AND WELFARE

This article models the child support and welfare decisions of never-married parents on welfare as a Stackelberg game. The mother chooses whether to exit welfare, report paternity, and to obtain a formal child support order. If a child support order is obtained, the father chooses whether to comply with the order. Simulation results from the structural parameters indicate that increasing the child support disregard increases paternal compliance slightly and affects maternal paternity reporting more significantly; effects are limited, however, by low paternal incomes. Results also indicate that high award amounts can decrease expected child support payments to women on welfare.
Effect of water-binding agents on the catalyzed oxidation of methyl linoleate

Autoxidation of methyl linoleate was studied in model systems containing added metals and different water-binding agents including cellulose, dextran and glycerol. In all systems, addition of water was increasingly antioxidant up to a critical level of water activity, above which further additions promote oxidation. The specific level of water activity at which oxidation rates are minimal and the water contents at this critical activity depend on the composition of the system. Results of the present study and much of the conflicting data in the literature can be explained as follows. A small amount of water is tightly bound to polysaccharides and does not affect lipid oxidation. Additional amounts of water are antioxidant because of their ability to hydrate metallic catalysts and to form hydrogen bonds with hydroperoxides. At high water contents the water's solvent action mobilizes catalysts, thereby overcoming the antioxidant effects. The present study indicates that water bound to glycerol is still capable of mobilizing catalysts. Depression of water activity by addition of agents such as glycerol has different effects on oxidation than does depression of water activity by other means. Interaction between the effects by system composition and water activity must be considered when either is varied to maximize storage stability of foods
C. elegans ISWI and NURF301 antagonize an Rb-like pathway in the determination of multiple cell fates

The class A, B and C synthetic multivulva (synMuv) genes act redundantly to negatively regulate the expression of vulval cell fates in Caenorhabditis elegans. The class B and C synMuv proteins include homologs of proteins that modulate chromatin and influence transcription in other organisms similar to members of the Myb-MuvB/dREAM, NuRD and Tip60/NuA4 complexes. To determine how these chromatin-remodeling activities negatively regulate the vulval cell-fate decision, we isolated a suppressor of the synMuv phenotype and found that the suppressor gene encodes the C. elegans homolog of Drosophila melanogaster ISWI. The C. elegans ISW-1 protein likely acts as part of a Nucleosome Remodeling Factor (NURF) complex with NURF-1, a nematode ortholog of NURF301, to promote the synMuv phenotype. isw-1 and nurf-1 mutations suppress both the synMuv phenotype and the multivulva phenotype caused by overactivation of the Ras pathway. Our data suggest that a NURF-like complex promotes the expression of vulval cell fates by antagonizing the transcriptional and chromatin-remodeling activities of complexes similar to Myb-MuvB/dREAM, NuRD and Tip60/NuA4. Because the phenotypes caused by a null mutation in the tumor-suppressor and class B synMuv gene lin-35 Rb and a gain-of-function mutation in let-60 Ras are suppressed by reduction of isw-1 function, NURF complex proteins might be effective targets for cancer therapy.
Localization of axonally transported [125I]wheat germ agglutinin in rat abducens motoneuron axons and terminals after intracisternal injection.

Abstract Iodinated wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) was taken up and transported by rat abducens motoneurons to nerve terminals in the lateral rectus muscle. Five days after intracisternal injection of lectin, axon terminals were found to be the most radioactive source, based on the density of labeling. In axons the radioactive label was concentrated in an annular region about 1.26 μm wide beneath the plasma membrane. We hypothesize that the WGA was associated with smooth vesicular and tubular structures in the axoplasm but not limited to organelles immediately beneath the axon plasma membrane. No evidence of intercellular transfer to muscle cells was found.
Use of the MMPI with patients who report chronic back pain.

Summary.-The report describes previous efforts to develop distinctive MMPI scales or profiles relating to chronic pain. While most efforts are directed towards low back pain, other forms and sites of chronic pain have produced comparable results. Consistency in results across samples may suggest a common series of routes or mechanisms which characterize patients who report chronic pain. In medical clinics patients who present themselves with complaints of chronic back pain are often referred for psychological testing. Most commonly, the physician's objective is to obtain an opinion on the relative contribution of psychological problems in the case. Actual testing or referral for testingSappears to depend greatly upon local factors. The style and nature of the referring physician's practice, psychological sensitivity of other clinic personnel, the patient's awareness of the outcome of various diagnostic tests, and the availability of experienced psychologists are important factors in the referral for testing. The possibility of specific personality risk characteristics and traits in chronic pain must be considered in the psychological evaluation of the patient experiencing pain (Blumer & Heilbronn, 1981). In addition, test evidence of the impact of long-standing back pain on areas such as self-concept (Armentrout, 1979) may be sought. The psychological test instrument used most extensively in research on pain has been the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (Dahlstrom, Welsh, & Dahlstrom, 1970, 1975). The MMPI is a 566-item, self-administered set of statements which are answered true or false. The self-report narure of the instrument and objectivity of scoring criteria are seen as key advantages over projective or personality tests. Of course, other projective tests have been employed in the evaluation of the chronic pain patient (Blumer & Heilbronn, 1981). These techniques have provided internally consistent psychodynamic descriptions, but the fact that most patients can complete the MMPI without the aid of a skilled diagnostician has encouraged its use in medical settings.
Analyses of infrared focal plane array figure of merit and its impact on sensor system trades

The performance of infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) is usually described by a set of figures of merit and operating parameters. They include FPA format, pixel pitch, operating temperature, cut-on and cutoff wavelengths, median detectivity, uniformity, and integration time. This article examines the promise of superlattice infrared materials and how the improved FPA figure of merit affects sensor system performance as measured by range, update rate, size, power, and cost. A simple analysis shows that for space-based surveillance, the system cost, as measured by the number of hosting satellites, may be decreased substantially by using detector arrays with large array size and longer detection range. It also shows that to make long-wavelength superlattice IRFPAs useful for future space applications, the residual nonuniformity must be improved.
THE MISKITO PINE SAVANNA OF NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS

(1955). THE MISKITO PINE SAVANNA OF NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 36-63.
The decline of public interest agricultural science and the dubious future of crop biological control in California

Drawing from a four-year study of US science institutions that support biological control of arthropods, this article examines the decline in biological control institutional capacity in California within the context of both declining public interest science and declining agricultural research activism. After explaining how debates over the public interest character of biological control science have shaped institutions in California, we use scientometric methods to assess the present status and trends in biological control programs within both the University of California Land Grant System and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. We present available data on the number of scientific positions and the types of positions to discuss the impact on the amount of public interest research on biological control in California. We use sociograms to depict how biological control science networks have been reconfigured over time. Our quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate that the following factors contributed to the decline of biological control science in California over the 45-year period analyzed: (1) the institutional reconfiguration of university research priorities; (2) the fraying networks within and increasing specialization of biological control science; (3) the transformation of the social organization of the life science work, including privatization; and (4) the abandonment of this thematic area by civil society activist groups. This broad array of forces suggests that biological control, as a public interest science, will require a deliberate intervention, based on advocacy of clear public interest criteria.
Global climate change and the politics of disaster

The paper explores the potential political impact of global climate change and, more generally, of natural disaster. Because the affluent West has largely tamed the natural and the social domains, popular clamor for government to anticipate, prevent, and redress disaster increases. I delineate several consequences of the new politics of disaster.
Stokes flow through a twisted tube with square cross-section

Abstract Flow through a twisted tube with square cross-section and helical corrugations of arbitrary pitch is computed under conditions of Stokes flow. The governing equations are formulated in non-orthogonal helical coordinates in terms of a coupled system of linear differential equations describing the longitudinal and transverse flow over the tube cross-section. Numerical solutions are computed by a finite-difference method on a staggered grid incorporating pressure nodes and three sets of velocity nodes. The results illustrate the structure of the secondary flow developing over the tube cross-section and document the effect of the helical corrugations on the axial flow rate.
Beta-glucuronidase activity in prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Beta-glucuronidase activity was extracted from prostatic carcinomas and hyperplastic prostates. It was 3.6-fold higher (P < 0.0001) in prostatic carcinoma than in prostatic hyperplasia. Analysis for isoenzymes of prostatic beta-glucuronidase by disc-gel electrophoresis in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels demonstrated only one form of the enzyme. Histochemically, enzymatic activity was observed almost entirely in epithelial cells in both prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cancer 64:911-915, 1989. URRENTLY. the most widely used histologic method C for grading prostatic carcinoma is a useful, although less than perfect, system.'-3 Prostatic tumors from different patients may appear similar histologically despite great differences in aggressiveness and prognosi~.~ In a small proportion of cases, the distinction between prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic disease may be difficult. Many tumors exhibit alterations in enzymatic activiand these changes may correlate with their respective biologic behaviors.' Several enzymatic activities have been shown to be different in prostatic carcinoma as compared with hyperplastic The activities of some of these enzymes have correlated with histologic differentiation and/or the survival of patient^.'^ Muntzing and Nilsson" reported the ratio of acid phosphatase to beta-glucuronidase activity in carcinoma to be only 10% of that in benign hyperplasia. This laboratory" has since shown that acid phosphatase activity is lower in prostatic carcinoma but with considerable overlap with benign hyperplasia. In contrast to Muntzing and Nils~on,'~ we report different levels of beta-glucuronidase activity extracted
Nanoparticle-textured surfaces from spin coating.

Rough surfaces composed of discrete but relatively uniform nanoparticles were prepared from a lightly sulfonated polystyrene ionomer by spin coating from tetrahydrofuran (THF) or a THF/methanol mixture onto a silica surface. The particle morphology is consistent with the spinodal decomposition of the film surface occurring during spin coating. The particles are well wetted to the silica, and if heated for a long time above the ionomer’s glass-transition temperature, the particles flow and coalesce into a smooth, homogeneous film.
Scaling IR-system evaluation using term relevance sets

This paper describes an evaluation method based on Term Relevance Sets Trels that measures an IR system's quality by examining the content of the retrieved results rather than by looking for pre-specified relevant pages. Trels consist of a list of terms believed to be relevant for a particular query as well as a list of irrelevant terms. The proposed method does not involve any document relevance judgments, and as such is not adversely affected by changes to the underlying collection. Therefore, it can better scale to very large, dynamic collections such as the Web. Moreover, this method can evaluate a system's effectiveness on an updatable "live" collection, or on collections derived from different data sources. Our experiments show that the proposed method is very highly correlated with official TREC measures.
Intussusception, rotavirus diarrhea, and rotavirus vaccine use among children in New York state.

Objective. To describe epidemiologic features of intussusception and rotavirus diarrhea in New York, to examine the baseline incidence and trends over time, and to ascertain whether an excess of cases occurred in the 9 months of vaccination with the newly licensed rotavirus vaccine. Methods. Hospital discharge data from 1989 through 1998 were reviewed for children (<1 year old) whose primary or secondary diagnosis was coded as intussusception or rotavirus diarrhea. Characteristics of patients admitted for intussusception and rotavirus diarrhea were compared, and trends over time were examined. For a subset of patients, medical records and vaccine histories for intussusception hospitalizations from October 1998 through June 1999 were analyzed. The number of intussusception cases attributable to rotavirus vaccine was calculated based on the penetration of the vaccine (21%) and a range of excess risks of intussusception among vaccinated children as estimated by the National Immunization Program (NIP). Results. From 1989 through 1998, 1450 intussusception-associated hospitalizations were reported in children <1 year old (average annual incidence 5.4/10 000). Among these children, 47% were treated medically and 53% had surgery, with 9% needing surgical resection. The incidence of intussusception declined over time from 6.1 per 10 000 in 1989 to 3.9 per 10 000 in 1998. Intussusception hospitalizations occurred throughout the year, whereas rotavirus-associated hospitalizations peaked from February to April. Of 20 patients with intussusception whose hospitalization charts were reviewed, 5 had received rotavirus vaccine. All 5 were hospitalized after their first dose of vaccine, were admitted before 7 months of age, were white, and had private insurance. A total of 81 cases of intussusception occurred during the 9-month period of rotavirus vaccination, compared with 78 during the same period in the prevaccination year. The number of excess intussusception cases observed (n = 3) was lower than expected using the NIP estimate of excess risk (1.8) among rotavirus vaccinated children (n = 12) but not significantly different from the risks identified in the NIP cohort studies (1 in 12 000). Conclusion. Our data suggest that in New York the rate of intussusception has declined, and approximately 1 child in 2600 develops intussusception before 1 year of age. The different seasonality between intussusception and rotavirus-related hospitalizations suggests that if any causal association exists, it must be small. Unlike other studies, analysis of New York hospitalized discharge data failed to show an appreciable increase in the incidence of intussusception after introduction of the rotavirus vaccine. Pediatrics 2001;108:54-60; intussusception, rotavirus, vaccine.
Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction as a cause of congestive heart failure. Mechanisms and management.

Objective To define the mechanisms underlying left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with congestive heart failure and normal systolic function and to identify the patients at risk for this syndrome. Study selection Studies were selected that describe the clinical observations of congestive heart failure with normal systolic function and that provide experimental and clinical insights into the mechanisms responsible for ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Data synthesis Recent studies indicate that a large number of patients (up to 40% in some series) presenting with congestive heart failure have preserved left ventricular systolic function. The factors contributing to altered left ventricular diastolic function include fibrosis, hypertrophy, ischemia, and increased afterload. The latter three factors, alone or in combination, predispose to impaired left ventricular relaxation, an active energy-requiring process. Thus, decreased left ventricular diastolic distensibility (increased diastolic pressure at any level of diastolic volume) may arise not only from altered passive elastic properties stemming from fibrosis or increased muscle mass but also from derangements in the dynamics of ventricular relaxation. Results In patients with essential hypertension, all four of the above mechanisms may be operative. Considering the prevalence of hypertension in the general population, hypertension appears to be an important underlying factor in many patients with heart failure on the basis of diastolic mechanisms. In the patient presenting with dyspnea and elevated filling pressures, but with a nondilated, normally contracting ventricle, treatment with standard heart failure medications (such as digitalis, diuretics, and vasodilators) is often ineffective and may be deleterious. Such patients may respond more favorably to beta-blockers and calcium-channel blockers. Conclusions Diastolic dysfunction should be considered in the patient presenting with heart failure symptoms but with normal systolic function, particularly in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.
Systems Design For Gas Chromatography/Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

The GC/FT-IR experiment is analyzed to determine the requirements for an effective system, including the types of information it should provide and the data processing this implies. To emphasis the special problems and advantages of GC/FT-IR, a comparison is made to the more mature technology of GC/MS. The particular solutions developed for Digilab's new generation of GC/FT-IR systems are examined in detail.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The impacts of deregulation and the US-Canada free trade agreement on Canadian transportation modes

Abstract Within the last five years the transportation industry in Canada has had to adjust to two major policy developments: the free trade treaty with the USA and deregulation. This paper attempts a preliminary assessment of the impacts of these initiatives on the major Canadian transport modes. While the available evidence suggests that some of the effects on the modes have been generally favourable, the paper argues that the policies will substantially limit the government's ability to influence Canadian transportation in the future.
Theories of aging

This review of gerontological theory cites diverse examples of neural and endocrine involvement in the senescence of mammals and some other multicellular species that suggest fundamental involvement in age-related changes in cell functions. The data support the major hypothesis that age-related changes are generally caused by specific physiological factors that are extrinsic to cells. The success of these manipulations includes retarding or reversing specific age-related changes, and extending the life span. From another perspective, these findings have converted time in the analysis of senescence from an independent variable to a dependent variable. So far, we do not need to hypothesize any new mechanism that is not already known in disease or normal functioning. (Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 5: 277–289, 1993)
Regression analysis of bivariate current status data under the Gamma-frailty proportional hazards model using the EM algorithm

The Gamma-frailty proportional hazards (PH) model is commonly used to analyze correlated survival data. Despite this model's popularity, the analysis of correlated current status data under the Gamma-frailty PH model can prove to be challenging using traditional techniques. Consequently, in this paper we develop a novel expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm under the Gamma-frailty PH model to study bivariate current status data. Our method uses a monotone spline representation to approximate the unknown conditional cumulative baseline hazard functions. Proceeding in this fashion leads to the estimation of a finite number of parameters while simultaneously allowing for modeling flexibility. The derivation of the proposed EM algorithm relies on a three-stage data augmentation involving Poisson latent variables. The resulting algorithm is easy to implement, robust to initialization, and enjoys quick convergence. Simulation results suggest that the proposed method works well and is robust to the misspecification of the frailty distribution. Our methodology is used to analyze chlamydia and gonorrhea data collected by the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory as a part of the Infertility Prevention Project.
A reconsideration of the welfare economics of a free-trade zone

Abstract This paper presents a model of a free-trade zone which incorporates the fact that such zones are often established by government subsidies designed to promote non-traditional exports. In our model the condition is derived under which the establishment of a free-trade zone can increase welfare regardless of the relative factor intensity of a zone-based industry. However, the relative factor intensity of a free-trade zone plays a crucial role in determining the change in welfare following economic growth and foreign investment.
Healthcare organization–education partnerships and career ladder programs for health care workers

Increasing concerns about quality of care and workforce shortages have motivated health care organizations and educational institutions to partner to create career ladders for frontline health care workers. Career ladders reward workers for gains in skills and knowledge and may reduce the costs associated with turnover, improve patient care, and/or address projected shortages of certain nursing and allied health professions. This study examines partnerships between health care and educational organizations in the United States during the design and implementation of career ladder training programs for low-skill workers in health care settings, referred to as frontline health care workers. Mixed methods data from 291 frontline health care workers and 347 key informants (e.g., administrators, instructors, managers) collected between 2007 and 2010 were analyzed using both regression and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Results suggest that different combinations of partner characteristics, including having an education leader, employer leader, frontline management support, partnership history, community need, and educational policies, were necessary for high worker career self-efficacy and program satisfaction. Whether a worker received a wage increase, however, was primarily dependent on leadership within the health care organization, including having an employer leader and employer implementation policies. Findings suggest that strong partnerships between health care and educational organizations can contribute to the successful implementation of career ladder programs, but workers' ability to earn monetary rewards for program participation depends on the strength of leadership support within the health care organization.
Mapping quantitative trait loci using multiple phenotypes in general pedigrees.

The use of correlated phenotypes may dramatically increase the power to detect the underlying quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Current approaches for multiple phenotypes include regression-based methods, the multivariate variance of components method, factor analysis and structural equations. Issues with these methods include: 1) They are computation intensive and are subject to problems of optimization algorithms; 2) Existing claims on the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic for the multivariate variance of components method are contradictory and erroneous; 3) The dimension reduction of the parameter space under the null hypothesis, a phenomenon that is unique to multivariate analyses, makes the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic more complicated than expected. In this article, three cases of varying complexity are considered. For each case, the efficient score statistic, which is asymptotically equivalent to the likelihood ratio statistic, is derived, so is its asymptotic distribution. These methods are straightforward to calculate. Finite-sample properties of these score statistics are studied through extensive simulations. These score statistics are for use with general pedigrees.
Determination of WR-1065 in human blood by high-performance liquid chromatography following fluorescent derivatization by a maleimide reagent ThioGlo^ 3

Abstract In order to improve the sensitivity and stability of human blood samples containing WR-1065 (i.e., active metabolite of the cytoprotective agent amifostine), a high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated using fluorescent derivatization with ThioGlo™3. Using a sample volume of only 100 μl, the method was specific, sensitive (limit of quantitation = 10 nM in deproteinized blood or 20 nM in whole blood), accurate (error ≤ 3.2%) and reproducible (CV ≤ 8.7%). In addition, the stability of WR-1065 in deproteinized and derivatized blood samples was assured for at least four weeks at −20 °C. This method should be particularly valuable in translating the kinetic–dynamic relationship of WR-1065 in preclinical models to that in cancer patients.
Colocalization of NADPH-diaphorase and dopamine β-hydroxylase in the neuronal somata of the rat kidney

Abstract Neuronal somata in the rat kidney are very often part of ganglionated plexus and contain nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Examining serial 100 μm slices of whole kidneys, we identified three subpopulations of neuronal somata by: (a) staining for NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochernistry followed by the demonstration of dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) by immunoperoxidase, and (b) staining for DBH by immunofluorescence followed by the demonstration of NADPH-d histochemical activity. The largest subpopulation of neuronal somata displayed both DBH immunoreactivify and NADPH-d histochemical activity. The second largest group of somata showed NADPH-d activity only. A small group of neuronal somata showed only DBH immunoreactivity. The presence of catecholaminergic characteristics in NOS-containing neuronal somata is unusual and raises the question as to their origin. Their heterogeneity suggests different functions for the different subpopulations.
Promoter Cleavage: A TopoIIβ and PARP-1 Collaboration

Hormones trigger dramatic changes in the structure and transcriptional activity of specific promoters that lead to exchange of repression complexes for activation complexes. Ju et al. (2006) now show that estrogen-dependent restructuring and transcription of the pS2 promoter require the generation of a DNA double-strand break by a novel protein complex containing two enzymes, topoisomerase IIβ and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.
Addictions as a process : commonalties or codependence

At present, no single theory of addictions dominates thinking in the mental health profession or comprehensively informs about clinical interventions. This article examines the biochemical and psychosocial commonalties of dependence disorders and concludes that similar addictive processes appear to be the foundation of a variety of addictive behaviors. Codependence is suggested as the underlying psychological dynamic pervasive in a host of addictive disorders. Implications for the treatment of codependence as the foundation of addictions is discussed, and a number of intervention strategies are suggested to work with the individual on “family of origin” issues.
Pay or Waive: An Economic Assessment of Property Owner Compensation Laws in the United States

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, following peer review. The published article is copyrighted by the Author(s) and published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at: http://reep.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/1/103
Non-heart-beating donors: A model of thoracic allograft injury

Background. Non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) have been proposed for the critical shortage of donors for cardiac and pulmonary transplantation. We determined the effects of prearrest hypoxia and postarrest warm ischemia on cardiac and pulmonary allografts procured from NHBDs undergoing hypoxic arrest. Methods. Rabbit hearts and lungs were procured from separate donors and placed on isolated blood perfusion circuits. Controls were excised and perfused without ischemia. Hearts from NHBDs underwent either prearrest hypoxic perfusion alone or consecutive periods of prearrest hypoxic perfusion and 20 minutes of postarrest warm ischemia. A third group of hearts underwent 30 minutes of warm, global ischemia alone. Two groups of pulmonary allografts were studied using similar hypoxic perfusion/20-minute ischemia and 30-minute ischemia donors. Results. Prearrest hypoxic perfusion clearly causes significant dysfunction of cardiac allografts from NHBDs compared with nonischemic controls. Prearrest hypoxic perfusion combined with postarrest ischemia results in an additive degree of dysfunction more severe than a similar period of warm ischemia alone. Both groups of experimental lungs displayed function similar to that of nonischemic controls in terms of pulmonary hemodynamics, airway resistance, and oxygenation potential. Conclusions. We conclude that prearrest hypoxic perfusion significantly contributes to the dysfunction of NHBD cardiac allografts. Pulmonary allografts may be more amenable to procurement of NHBDs.
Variability in skeletal mass, structure, and biomechanical properties among inbred strains of rats

The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of the inbred rat model for studies of genetic influences on skeletal fragility. We characterized bone mass, geometry, and skeletal biomechanics in 11 inbred strains of rats. This study showed that considerable variation exists in bone structure, areal bone mineral density (aBMD), and fragility phenotypes among inbred strains of rats. Interestingly, the variability in skeletal phenotypes in rats was site specific, suggesting that no single gene regulates skeletal fragility at all sites. For instance, the Copenhagen 2331 (COP) strain had the greatest biomechanical properties in the femoral neck but only modest bone strength at the femoral midshaft, compared with other strains. Consequently, COP rats appear to have alleles that specifically enhance femoral neck biomechanical properties and may serve as a model for studying genetic influences on hip strength. The Brown Norway (BN) and Fischer 344 (F344) strains may provide models for vertebral fragility because each has relatively fragile lumbar vertebrae. The F344 rats also had the most fragile femora and, thus, appear to carry alleles that cause overall skeletal fragility. We identified two inbred rat crosses that will facilitate the study of genetic influences on skeletal fragility at clinically relevant skeletal sites: Lewis (LEW) with F344 (primarily for vertebral fragility) and COP with DA (primarily for femoral neck fragility). The results strongly suggest that selected crosses of inbred strains of rats will provide useful models for studying genetic influences on bone strength and structure.
Cut-offs at an abyssal meander south of Iceland

Reynisdjup Channel is a conduit across the insular rise for turbidity currents from southern Iceland. It has a large meander, at depths of 2,000 to 2,200 m, that was examined with a deep-tow vehicle. Erosive turbidity currents are creating cut-off channels by spilling across several parts of the meander: (1) a crevasse at the outside of the bend may cause channel avulsion; (2) chute cut-off has isolated a scroll bar; and (3) the 8-km-wide meander neck has been dissected by narrow spillways and by “mega-flutes” as much as 1 km wide and 30 m deep.
Nitric Oxide and cGMP-dependent Protein Kinase Regulation of Glucose-mediated Thrombospondin 1-dependent Transforming Growth Factor-β Activation in Mesangial Cells

Abstract Excessive transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) activity in hyperglycemia contributes to the development of diabetic nephropathy. Glucose stimulation of TGF-β activity and matrix synthesis are dependent on autocrine thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) to convert latent TGF-β to its biologically active form. The mechanisms by which glucose regulates TSP1 are not known. High glucose inhibits nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and decreased NO increases TGF-β activity and extracellular matrix accumulation. Yet, the impact of NO signaling on TSP1 activation of TGF-β is unknown. We tested the role of NO signaling in the regulation of TSP1 expression and TSP1-dependent TGF-β activity in rat mesangial cells exposed to high glucose. On exposure to 30 mmglucose, NO accumulation in the conditioned media and intracellular cGMP levels were significantly decreased. The addition of an NO donor prevented the glucose-dependent increase in TSP1 mRNA, protein, and TGF-β bioactivity. The effects of the NO donor were blocked by ODQ (a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor) or Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS (an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase). These effects of high glucose were also reversed by the nitric-oxide synthase cofactor tetrahyrobiopterin (BH4). These results show that high glucose mediates increases in TSP1 expression and TSP1-dependent TGF-β bioactivity through down-modulation of NO-cGMP-dependent protein kinase signaling.
In Vitro Activity of Antiretroviral Drugs against Plasmodium falciparum

Malaria and HIV infection are both very common in many developing countries. With the increasing availability of therapy for HIV infection, it was of interest to determine whether antiretroviral drugs exert antimalarial effects. We therefore tested the in vitro activity of 19 antiretroviral drugs against the W2 and 3D7 strains of Plasmodium falciparum at concentrations up to 50 μM. None of 5 tested nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors demonstrated activity. Two nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, efavirenz (mean 50% inhibitory concentration [IC(50)] of 22 to 30 μM against the two strains) and etravirine (3.1 to 3.4 μM), were active; nevirapine was not active. Also active were the fusion inhibitor enfuvirtide (6.2 to 7.9 μM) and the entry inhibitor maraviroc (15 to 21 μM). Raltegravir was not active. However, for all active drugs mentioned above, the IC(50)s were considerably greater than the concentrations achieved with standard dosing. The effects most likely to be clinically relevant were with HIV protease inhibitors. Of the tested compounds, activity was seen with lopinavir (2.7 to 2.9 μM), atazanavir (3.3 to 13.0 μM), saquinavir (5.0 to 12.1 μM), nelfinavir (6.5 to 12.1 μM), ritonavir (9.5 to 10.9 μM), tipranavir (15.5 to 22.3 μM), and amprenavir (28.1 to 40.8) but not darunavir. Lopinavir was active at levels well below those achieved with standard dosing of coformulated lopinavir-ritonavir. Lopinavir also demonstrated modest synergy with the antimalarial lumefantrine (mean fractional inhibitory concentration index of 0.66 for W2 and 0.53 for 3D7). Prior data showed that lopinavir-ritonavir also extends the pharmacokinetic exposure of lumefantrine. Thus, when used to treat HIV infection, lopinavir-ritonavir may have clinically relevant antimalarial activity and also enhance the activity of antimalarials.
Elucidating the magnetic and superconducting phases in the alkali metal intercalated iron chalcogenides

The complex interdigitated phases have greatly frustrated attempts to document the basic features of the superconductivity in the alkali metal intercalated iron chalcogenides. Here, using elastic neutron scattering, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and resistivity measurements, we elucidate the relations of these phases in ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2\ensuremath{-}z}{\mathrm{S}}_{z}$. We find (i) the iron content is crucial in stabilizing the stripe antiferromagnetic (AF) phase with rhombic iron vacancy order $(y\ensuremath{\approx}1.5)$, the block AF phase with $\sqrt{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{5}$ iron vacancy order $(y\ensuremath{\approx}1.6)$, and the iron vacancy-free phase $(y\ensuremath{\approx}2)$; and (ii) the iron vacancy-free superconducting phase $(z=0)$ evolves into an iron vacancy-free metallic phase with sulfur substitution $(zg1.5)$ due to the progressive decrease of the electronic correlation strength. Both the stripe AF phase and the block AF phase are Mott insulators. The iron-rich compounds $(yg1.6)$ undergo a first order transition from an iron vacancy disordered phase at high temperatures into the $\sqrt{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{5}$ iron vacancy ordered phase and the iron vacancy-free phase below ${T}_{s}$. Our data demonstrate that there are miscibility gaps between these three phases. The existence of the miscibility gaps in the iron content is a key to understanding the relationship between these complicated phases.
Efficient computation of the short-time fast Fourier transform

The short-time fast Fourier transform (STFFT) is an important tool in speech and other time-varying signal processing areas. The STFFT is often required to be performed in real time, which makes it important that computationally efficient methods exist. Traditionally the STFFT has been computed by repeated application of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) at consecutive time instances. This method does not utilize the redundancies that exist between the FFTs at different times, which, especially for small time differences, are quite large. A method for computing the STFFT is described which utilizes the redundancy to reduce the number of operations required to compute the STFFT. The reduction depends on the length of the STFFT and the time difference between FFTs. This method is more efficient than the regular FFT method for up to very large time differences. >
Directed light fabrication of iron-based materials

Directed light fabrication (DLF) is a process that fuses gas delivered metal powders within a focal zone of a laser beam to produce fully dense, 3-dimensional metal components. From a computer generated solid model, deposition ``tool paths`` are constructed that command the laser movement to fabricate near net shape parts a layer at a time. Among potential candidate systems to study, iron-based alloys are particularly attractive for rapid prototyping. To evaluate the processing parameters in the DLF process, studies have been performed on the microstructural development in 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional Fe-based components. For example, continuous microstructural features are evident, implying a continuous liquid/solid interface during processing. In addition, solidification cooling rates have been determined based upon secondary dendrite arm spacings in Fe-25wt. % Ni and 316 stainless steel. Cooling rates vary from 10{sup 1}{minus}10{sup 5} K s{sup {minus}1}, and the solidification behavior has been simulated using macroscopic heat transfer analyses.
Locus of Control and Task Complexity in Perceptions of Job Dimensions

In the present study was examined the effects of locus of control and task complexity on perceptions of task characteristics by 110 business undergraduates. Individuals with an internal locus of co...
Distributional Consequences of Financial Crises: Evidence from Recent Crises:

The paper examines the distributional consequences of financial crises based on the lessons of the past crises experiences of Argentina, Brazil, Korea, Mexico, and Turkey. It identifies the possible channels through which crises may affect functional and personal distribution of income. It concludes that the crises of the last two decades have both pro-capital and pro-finance distributional outcomes.JEL classification: D31, E25, O15, G01
USING REAL OPTIONS ANALYSIS FOR EVALUATING UNCERTAIN INVESTMENTS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: INSIGHTS FROM THE ICIS 2001 DEBATE

Business and information systems (IS) executives continue to grapple with issues of risk and uncertainty in evaluating investments in information technology (IT). Despite the use of net present value (NPV) and other investment appraisal techniques, executives are often forced to rely on instinct when finalizing IT investment decisions. Recognizing the shortcomings of NPV, real options analysis has been suggested as an alternative approach, one that considers the risks associated with an investment while recognizing the ability of corporations to defer an investment until a later period or to make a partial investment instead.
The cross coupling of some primary fluorochlorocarbon iodides

Abstract 1,2-Dichloroiodotrifluoroethane reacts with zinc to form 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorohexafluorobutane and, by a coupling reaction with it, 1,2,3,5,6-pentachlorononafluorohexane. The latter compound was also synthesized from cross-coupling of CF2ClCFClI and CF2ClCFClCF2CFClI. Heptafluorobutyl iodide and CF2ClCFClCFClI did not cross couple
Effect of the solid phase on the global phase behavior of Lennard–Jones mixtures

Complete phase diagrams, that is, showing the solid, liquid, and vapor phases, are calculated for 29 binary mixtures of Lennard–Jones molecules characterized by different sets of interaction parameters using the Gibbs–Duhem integration technique. The impact of including the possibility of a solid phase on the global phase behavior of such mixtures is investigated by comparing the complete phase behavior calculated by simulation to the global phase diagram calculated from a fluid-phase-only equation of state. Complete phase diagrams from each region of the global phase diagram are presented and compared with the fluid-phase-only phase behavior for the same mixture. It is found that for mixtures in which the components have greatly dissimilar critical temperatures, the presence of the solid phase significantly alters the fluid-phase equilibria. In those cases, the phase behavior classification based on experimental observations should differ from that predicted by an equation-of-state approach. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 1948–1960, 2004
Hepatic veins in presurgical planning of hepatic resection: what a radiologist should know.

Hepatic resection is considered to be feasible when all malignant nodules can be technically excised. The goal of the surgical approach is to optimize the oncologic resection (negative margins), sparing the non-cancerous hepatic parenchyma. The outflowing hepatic vein (HV) of that particular liver remnant must be intact in order to preserve its function. The purpose of this article is to familiarize radiologists with anatomy and anatomical variants of HVs, with special emphasis on segmental venous drainage for presurgical planning of hepatic resections. We focus on information which radiologist should give to hepatic surgeon to choose proper surgical approach. Radiologist’s familiarity with the anatomy and anatomical variants of HVs is essential for accurate surgical planning to avoid venous congestion as postoperative complication. Any clinically important hepatic vein variation detected on presurgical imaging should be carefully recorded in the radiology report.
Unraveling the Reality of SOA in Integration Environments

The rudimentary principle of SOA (Service oriented architecture) is “reuse”. In hub and spoke integration projects leveraging SOA, creating service components with high reuse becomes a huge challenge and results in the problem of either the service component just enabling integration which in turn has very poor reuse when new consumers are introduced or mere reuse theoretically but not enabling integration. This is because the Integration paradigm is focused on one extreme (integrating applications) whilst the SOA paradigm believes in the other extreme (reuse of components). In this paper, we discuss the core dimensions of problems faced in a real world integration environment when combining SOA and integration solutions and propose trade off mechanisms.
Studies on the scale-up of the microwave-assisted nitridation and sintering of reaction-bonded silicon nitride

Studies using laboratory test samples have shown that microwave heating produces sintered reaction-bonded silicon nitride materials with improved properties. The final challenge for processing this material by microwave heating is the development of a technology for processing larger batch-size quantities of these materials. Initial microwave scale-up experiments were performed using powder compacts of a bucket tappet geometry. In experiments using microwave-transparent boron nitride sample crucibles, temperature gradients within some crucibles led to larger variations in the sample densities than were obtained with the conventionally processed samples. The use of a microwave-suscepter type crucible made of silicon carbide and boron nitride resulted in an improved temperature uniformity and in density variations comparable to those obtained for the control groups.