cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PAF formation by H2O2-stimulated perfused canine carotid arteries

Perfusion of noncytotoxic concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) through canine carotid arteries potentiates neutrophil adhesion to vessel endothelium. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonists block neutrophil adhesion to vessels pretreated with low millimolar concentrations of H2O2. We have used a specific gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) assay for PAF and applied this to studies of canine carotid arteries perfused with H2O2. Vessels perfused with 1 and 10 mM H2O2 for 20 min produced PAF in a dose-dependent manner, 331 +/- 67 pg/g tissue with 1 mM H2O2 and 1160 +/- 194 pg/g with 10 mM. Vessels that had been denuded of endothelium with a balloon catheter prior to H2O2 perfusion produced similar quantities of PAF in response to H2O2 (220 +/- 72 pg/g and 960 +/- 210 pg/g with 1 and 10 mM, respectively). Cultured canine jugular venous endothelial cells produced PAF in response to 10 mM H2O2 (809 +/- 117 pg/10(7) cells) but carotid arterial smooth muscle cells did not. These results suggest that vascular cells other than endothelial cells may produce PAF following H2O2 perfusion of canine carotid arteries.
Increased atherosclerosis in rabbits immunized with endothelial cells

Abstract Rabbits maintained on normal ration or cholesterol-supplemented diet were immunized with homogenates of endothelial cells grown in cultures that were derived from either bovine or human aorta. Minimal aortic lesions were found in all groups of rabbits fed regular diet; microscopically, differences were seen that manifested as medial lesions in controls and intimal lesions in animals immunized with endothelial cells. Aortic atherosclerosis was significantly increased in the immunized, cholesterol-fed animals over that in controls. This difference was more pronounced in the abdominal aorta where the area with lesions in immunized rabbits was 4–7 times that of controls; atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta was 2.5–5 times greater in the immunized animals ( P P
Do slums matter? Location and early childhood preventive care choices among urban residents of Bangladesh

Upward trends in the relative proportions of slum residents in developing countries have led to widespread concern regarding the impact of slum residency on health behaviors. Measurement of these impacts requires recognizing that unobservable household characteristics that affect the location decision may also affect health care choices and outcomes. To address the potential for bias, this paper models the location decision and the household's demand for maternal and child health services simultaneously using a flexible, semi-parametric approach. It uses a unique urban data set from Bangladesh that incorporates sophisticated geographical mapping techniques to carefully delineate between slum and non-slum areas at a particular point in time. The results suggest that accounting for the endogenous location decision of a family substantially reduces bias in estimated marginal effects of slum residence on preventive care demand. While community infrastructure variables appear correlated with preventive care demand, the causal effect of the availability of primary health care facilities is indistinguishable from zero when unobserved heterogeneity is taken into account. The findings suggest that improvements in community infrastructure in urban areas of developing countries are a more favorable health policy solution at the margin than the construction of additional health care facilities.
Ventricular and Atrial Septal Defects

1. Nancy L. McDaniel, MD* 1. 2. *Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Objectives After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Review the anatomy of ventricular septal defect (VSD) and atrial septal defect (ASD). 2. Describe the clinical variables in children who have VSD and ASD. 3. Delineate the evaluation of VSD and ASD. 4. Describe the rationale for medical or surgical management of VSD and ASD. Congenital heart defects affect slightly less than 1% of liveborn infants. Two defects, ventricular septal defect (VSD) and atrial septal defect (ASD), account for about 30% of congenital heart disease: VSD for 20% and ASD for 10%. These defects may occur as isolated lesions or as a component of complex defects. This article focuses on the isolated defects. Most children who have either VSD or ASD are diagnosed rapidly and will have normal life expectancy. VSDs are defined by location and size. Each characteristic determines, in part, the pathophysiology and need for therapy. ### Definition VSDs are described by the anatomic location of the defect as seen from the right ventricle. The most common types are perimembranous, outlet, inlet, and muscular. Perimembranous VSDs (70% of all VSDs) are located in the upper fibrous region of the septum beneath the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve and usually represent a single defect. Outlet VSDs (5% of all VSDs) are found between the left and right ventricular outflow tracts just above the parietal and septal bands and just below the pulmonary valve. They usually are single defects. Inlet VSDs (5% of all VSDs) are seen in the posterior portion of the ventricular septum beneath or behind the tricuspid valve and typically are single defects. Muscular VSDs (20% of all VSDs) are located in the muscular wall between the left and right ventricles in any portion of the septum, although the most common locations are at the apex, at the anterior portion …
Applying the single-node DQDB analytical model to network-wide performance analysis

The exact analytical model of distributed queue dual bus (DQDB) is known to have a state space explosion problem which makes its analysis intractable. The approximate single-node analytical model, introduced by C. Bisdikian (1990) and extended by the authors (1992), has been proven to be a tractable model capable of providing valuable insight into the DQDB network behavior. It is shown how to use the single-node model to approximately evaluate message delay of individual nodes for an entire network. The difficulties involved in applying the single-node model networkwide and approaches to dealing with those difficulties are discussed. Some representative approximate mean message delay results are shown. It is believed that the work presented extends the practical significance of the single-node analytical model of DQDB. >
Casimer Funk, Nonconformist Nomenclature, and Networks Surrounding the Discovery of Vitamins

In the 2 decades between when the existence of vitamins was first postulated and when they were isolated, scientists and research physicians could produce no conclusive evidence for their existence from the laboratory or clinic. By the time the first vitamin was chemically isolated, vitamins were already widely accepted by scientists, clinicians, the public, and government agencies. In the period between when vitamins were postulated and the Nobel Prize was awarded for their discovery, a debate over nomenclature served as a substitute for a priority dispute. The most popular term "vitamine" was introduced by Casimer Funk in 1912 and was changed to "vitamin" by Cecil Drummond in 1920. Initial conditions surrounding the discovery of vitamins, including World War I, necessitated the creation of unusual networks for the dissemination of scientific information about vitamins. In Great Britain, research institutes, government agencies, and individual researchers were instrumental in creating a set of national and international networks for the dissemination of information from research laboratories to hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical houses, and the public. These networks of dissemination still exert an influence on how scientific information about vitamins is communicated to the public today.
Generalized scanning and multiresolution image compression

Summary form only given. The authors present a technique which exploits the correlative nature of image attributes by multiresolution decomposition of data sets reduced from an image along a generalized scan trajectory. Scanning strategies are based either on Hamiltonian space-filling curves (of the proper fractal dimensions) or on the solutions of a set of linear congruences. >
From 1994's “Physical Disability” to 2011's “Advances in Disability Research”

Welcome to this special issue titled “Advances in Disability Research.” I am so pleased that Alan Jette, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and Nancy Latham, PT, PhD, agreed to serve as co-editors for this special issue. The breadth and depth of the content is a tribute to their expertise and to their remarkable international collegial network. In May 1994, Alan Jette edited PTJ 's first special issue on physical disability. In his introduction to that special issue, he recounted the struggle in getting scientists to accept the value of research that focused on function rather than on “‘hard’ physiological outcomes.”1(p379) He noted that research in physical disability had been recognized as scientifically sound and necessary with the addition of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) (1991) at the National Institutes of Health and the new Agency for Health …
Amplification of Multikilovolt Xe(L) Hollow Atom Transitions with Xe Clusters in Confined Plasma Channels

The recent observation of strong amplification on multikilovolt Xe(L) hollow atom transitions in the~X2.8 A spectral region can be seen as a consequence of the combination of (1) a new concept for amplification that involves the creation of a highly ordered state combining ionic, plasma, and coherent radiative components and (2) the use of two recently discovered (c. ~1990) forms of radially symmetric energetic matter, namely, hollow atoms and self-trapped plasma channels. This approach enables the demanding power densities necessary for x-ray amplification (~ 1019 W/cm3) to be reached under conditions for which (α) the effective phase space volume of the interaction is profoundly limited and (β) the energy transfer is radiation dominated.
Risk Management of Low Air Void Asphalt Concrete Mixtures

Various forms of asphalt pavement distress, such as rutting, shoving and bleeding, can be attributed, in many cases, to low air voids in the mixtures during production and placement. The occurrence of low air void contents during plant production may originate as a result of an accidental increase in binder content or mix fines (or both). When low air voids are encountered during production, the specifying agency must decide whether to require the material that has already been placed to be removed and replaced or whether it can be left in place with a reduction in pay. Consequently, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) initiated this research project to develop a decision-support tool for dealing with such events that is based on projected rutting performance of the pavement system. The study was conducted along three paths. In the first, INDOT sponsored two pavement test sections at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Test Track. The second path involved testing mixes in the INDOT Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) Facility. In both cases, mixtures were produced in local hot mix plants by either increasing the fines content or the binder content. The NCAT test sections included low void mixes in the surface course only and performance was measured by the progression of rutting. Significant rutting developed in the low void mixes. The results suggested that removal be considered for mixtures with air voids below 2.75% but that no pay adjustment was necessary for air voids above this level. However, the NCAT results were limited to one pavement structure, one set of materials, one climate and low voids in the surface mix only. In the APT, low air void mixtures were placed in either the surface or the intermediate course and different materials were used. The pavement response (permanent deformation of the top pavement layers) resulting from repetitive APT wheel passes was measured using a laser based system. Lastly, a simplified mechanistic analysis, using a software program called QRSS (Quality Related Specification Software) was used in an attempt to simulate the effects of low void mixtures on pavement performance and service life with different materials in different pavement layers and under different traffic loads. The results of these efforts were used along with engineering judgment to formulate the desired decision-support tool.
Improved domain-wall model of static hysteresis for power ferrites

An improved domain-wall surface function R(m) is suggested for the static domain-wall hysteresis model proposed by Basso and Bertotti to better characterise the very soft saturation behaviour of manganese-zinc (MnZn) ferrites. The improved model is verified against experimental data for the major and minor hysteresis loops of three commercial MnZn ferrites.
Periodic simple groups of finitary linear transformations

A group is locally finite if every finite subset generates a finite subgroup. A group of linear transformations is finitary if each element minus the identity is an endomorphism of finite rank. The classification and structure theory for locally finite simple groups splits naturally into two cases?those groups that can be faithfully represented as groups of finitary linear transformations and those groups that are not finitary linear. This paper completes the finitary case. We classify up to isomorphism those infinite, locally finite, simple groups that are finitary linear but not linear.
Spatial and Time-Course Thermodynamics During Pulmonary Vein Isolation Using the Second-Generation Cryoballoon in a Canine In Vivo Model

Background— Thermodynamics in the left atrium–pulmonary vein (PV) junction, phrenic nerve, and esophagus during PV isolation (PVI) using the second-generation cryoballoon are not known. Methods and Results— Twenty dogs underwent PVI using second-generation cryoballoon. Ablations were performed for ≤2 deliveries based on PVI without a bonus freeze. Inner balloon, balloon surface, and tissue temperatures were monitored during cryoablation. The tissue thermocouples were placed on the epicardial surface of the left atrium–PV junction, as well as on the phrenic nerve and within the esophagus. A total of 259 cryoballoon and 229 tissue tissue thermocouples profiles during 53 cryoablations of 40 PVs were analyzed. Acutely, PVI was achieved in 36 of 40 PVs (90%). Conductive tissue cooling spread radially from the balloon–left atrium–PV contact point. The lowest tissue temperatures were dependent on the distance of the tissue thermocouples to the balloon surface ( r =0.85; P <0.001). In addition, blood flow leaks around the balloon had a warming effect on the balloon and tissue temperature profiles. Chronic isolation (mean, 48±16 days) was achieved in 27 of 36 PVs (75%). In 8 of 9 acutely isolated but with chronic reconnection PVs, the blood flow leak location was concordant with chronic reconnection gap. Although only 1 esophageal ulcerated lesion was observed, neither phrenic nerve palsy nor severe PV stenosis was seen in any dogs. Conclusions— Variance in tissue thermodynamics during cryothermal ablation depends on the distance from balloon and peri-balloon blood flow leaks. This information may be useful for successful PVI without severe complications.
George Fu Gao: the past and future of Ebola

Newly returned from the frontline of the battle against Ebola in West Africa, Dr George Fu Gao talked to NSR on this largest Ebola epidemic in history. As Deputy Director-General of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Dr Gao has been personally involved in the fight against acute infectious diseases both on the laboratory bench and in the field for many years. Recalling the sight of an Ebola-infected young man stumbling to his death on the street and observing the continuing climb of patient statistics, he anxiously calls for larger global help to affected countries. The help provided by the world community to West Africa was too late and insufficient, and in this age of globalization no country can care only for herself alone. In this interview, Dr Gao also reviews the history, progression, and prognosis of the Ebola epidemic, the cause of failure in the early prevention and containment of the disease, the role of government policies and public health systems, and global prospects and strategies for similar acute infectious diseases in the future.
Do Gold Market Returns Have Long Memory

This study examines the long memory behavior in gold returns during the postBretton Woods period using a new rescaled range technique. Unlike the conventional rescaled range analysis, the new rescaled range analysis is robust to short-term dependence and conditional heteroscedasticity found in the gold data. Statistical results suggest that the long memory behavior in gold returns is rather unstable. When only few observations corresponding to major political events in the Middle East, together with the Hunts event, in late 1979 are omitted, little evidence of long memory can be found.
Spontaneous Rupture of the Common Carotid Artery With Pseudoaneurysm Formation

A 27-year-old man presented to the ED with an expanding neck mass after a Valsalva maneuver during sexual intercourse. This patient was found to have sustained a spontaneous rupture of the common carotid artery with pseudoaneurysm formation. The defect was repaired surgically with a saphenous vein patch, and the patient recovered. We discuss the rare occurrence of spontaneous carotid artery rupture and subsequent pseudoaneurysm. [Prendergast H, Kuo D: Spontaneous rupture of the common carotid artery with pseudoaneurysm formation. Ann Emerg Med August 1997;30:230-233.]
Mediators leading to fibrosis - how to measure and control them in tissue engineering.

Fibrosis is the result of an excessive amount of fibrous connective tissue deposited into the extracellular matrix space of damaged tissues from injury or disease. Collagens, particularly types I and III are the main constituents of the fibrotic scar tissue as well as a mixture of fibrotic cells. Fibrotic tissue will develop chronic healing problems severely resulting in tissue/organ dysfunction. More attention needs to be given to the fibrotic differentiation and related effects in bioengineered tissues. The current review provides an update on the mechanism behind fibrosis formation as well as technical measurements and preventions.
Predicting success in volunteer community service

A group of 60 volunteers in a Big Brothers-Big Sisters agency were divided into two smaller groups of those who had successfully completed the preestablished program (n = 25) and those who did not ...
Melanins, metals, and mate quality

Many animals display large patches of black or brown color in their integument, which contain melanin pigments and function as important sexually selected indicators of mate quality. To date, however, the particular means by which melanin-based color ornaments are costly to produce and serve as honest advertisements have remained elusive. Here, I propose a novel biochemical mechanism by which melanin-based coloration may serve as a reliable indicator of quality, involving the interplay of metal ions. In animals and other biochemical systems, a series of scarce macro- and microminerals (e.g. Ca, Zn, Cu, Fe) obtained from the diet act as critical regulatory factors in the biosynthesis of eumelanin and phaeomelanin pigments, but can also be toxic to the body when accumulated in high concentrations. As large polymers with many functional (carboxyl) groups, melanin granules also bind these metals and store them in pigmented cells. Thus, by sequestering large deposits of melanin, often in dead tissue (as in hair or feathers), animals may directly reveal dietary access to these rare elements and the physiological protection they have afforded themselves from initially beneficial, but eventually damaging, high mineral concentrations.
Partial joint denervation I: wrist, shoulder, and elbow.

Background:Partial joint denervation is the concept of preservation of joint function and relief of joint pain by interrupting the neural pathways that transmit the pain message from the joint to the brain. When traditional, nonoperative, musculoskeletal approaches fail, the surgical approach may re
The development of Moniezia expansa in the intermediate host.

When eggs of Monieza expansa are fed to galumnid mites, the onchospheres emerge in the intestine and migrate to the body cavity. Here they undergo metamorphosis and develop into cysticercoids. The dissection of mites, at various intervals after exposure, has yielded a successive series of developmental stages. Protocols of the experiments and photographs of living larvae are presented. These results demonstrate that mites serve as intermediate hosts of Moniezia , and probably also of other anoplocephaline cestodes.
University Based Career Education: A Model for Infusion

This article presents a field-tested model for training and introducing university faculty to the philosophy, concepts, and practices of career education.
Investment-Backed Expectations and the Politics of Judicial Articulation: The Reintegration of History and the Lockean Mind in Contemporary American Jurisprudence

The Fifth Amendment's Just Compensation Clause is a revealing reflection of the Framers' vigilance in preserving property rights and maintaining a balance of power between citizen and state, especially in the specific context of eminent domain. The principle that the state should be generally forbidden from taking private property for public use without just compensation is a leading motif in the definition of a political culture that underpins the emergence and maintenance of a prosperous capitalist society. In this Comment, Kraig Odabashian critiques the U.S. Supreme Court's use of the landowner's investment-backed expectations as the primary standard under which the Court has evaluated cases of government takings requiring just compensation. The author posits that the concept of "expectation," whether subjective or objective in perspective, is not the proper tool with which to analyze constitutional questions of this sort. Rather, this is a role more properly assigned to objective hermeneutics in the process of judicial epistemology. In his central thesis, the author contends that the Just Compensation Clause ought to be reattached to its philosophical and historical origins, more specifically, that the Supreme Court ought to adopt a historical baseline test for regulatory takings in order to pursue this more abstract goal. En route to establishing this thesis, he also examines the methodological failures which have led to the intellectually weak formulation currently applied by the Court to most just compensation claims. The author concludes by assessing the overall value of a historical baseline test in terms of its ability to generate a specific jurisprudence which is both cogent and practically operative. He approaches this task by both applying the historical baseline test to the Court's major just compensation cases and considering it in view of the specific language of the clause and the central themes of the Constitution as they are textually presented in the document itself, as well as in the Constitution's historical and philosophical animation.
Photoprotective effect of isoflavone genistein on ultraviolet B-induced pyrimidine dimer formation and PCNA expression in human reconstituted skin and its implications in dermatology and prevention of cutaneous carcinogenesis.

KEYWORDS CLASSIFICATION: adverse effects;analysis;Anticarcinogenic Agents;Cells,Cultured;drug effects;Dermatology;dietary modulation of carcinogenesis-related pathways;Epidermis;Genistein;Humans;metabolism;New York;prevention & control;Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen;Pyrimidine Dimers;radiation effects;Skin;Skin Neoplasms;Skin,Artificial;therapeutic use;Ultraviolet Rays.
Cellular Senescence: Factors Modulating Cell Proliferation In Vitro

The characteristics of normal diploid cell proliferation are widely used to describe in vitro models of cellular aging. In fact, it is the predictable loss in proliferative capacity that was first used to argue that normal human fibroblast cultures could serve as a model system for the study of cellular aging. Although there are many other physiological changes that occur during the lifespan of cells in culture, the regulation of cell proliferation remains a primary target of research in this area of cell biology. There have been two general approaches taken in studying the regulation and eventual loss of proliferative capacity in normal human cells in culture. They can be broadly characterized as genetic and hormonal approaches.
Prospective Study of 68Ga-DOTATATE Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Detecting Gastro-Entero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors and Unknown Primary Sites

PurposeGastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEPNETs) are increasing in incidence, and accurate staging is important for selecting the appropriate treatment. 68Ga-DOTATATE imaging is a promising approach for detecting GEPNETs and could help in selecting optimal therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to prospectively determine the clinical utility of 68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in detecting unknown primary and metastatic GEPNETs.Patients and MethodsOne hundred thirty-one patients were enrolled in a prospective study of patients undergoing 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, 111In-pentetreotide single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT and multiphasic CT scan, and/or magnetic resonance imaging in a blinded fashion with comprehensive biochemical testing. The primary outcome measure was the detection of lesions by each imaging study.Results68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging detected 95.1% of lesions (95% CI, 92.4% to 96.8%) with an average maximum sta...
Esophageal Cancer: Gastrointestinal Features

Esophageal cancers comprise all the malignant lesions of the esophagus, but primarily consist of squamous cell carcinoma worldwide and adenocarcinoma in the United States. Symptoms can vary widely depending on stage, and prognosis is largely dependent on the stage at which the tumor is detected. Late-stage lesions typically portend a poor prognosis.
Frequency conversion via asymmetrically pumped four-wave-mixing Bragg scattering in silicon waveguides

We experimentally demonstrate low-power frequency conversion within the telecom C-band via asymmetrically-pumped Four-wave-mixing Bragg scattering in a chip-scale silicon-on-insulator waveguide. Numerical methods are used to predict device performance.
Enhanced Nickel-Seeded Synthesis of Germanium Nanowires

Germanium (Ge) nanowires can be grown using either gold (Au) or nickel (Ni) seeds in a supercritical solvent; however, the quality and yield of the nanowires is much higher using Au seeds and diphenyl germane (DPG) as a reactant under typical reaction conditions. We find that the addition of monophenylsilane (MPS) dramatically improves the yield and quality of Ni-seeded Ge nanowires, producing straight nanowires with relatively uniform diameter and nearly 100% conversion of DPG to Ge. MPS participates in the phenyl redistribution reaction of DPG and serves as a phenyl sink that speeds DPG decomposition and increases the conversion to Ge to nearly 100%. MPS addition to Au-seeded nanowire reactions also increases the DPG conversion to Ge to nearly 100% and improves the nanowire quality at higher growth temperature.
Exposure to Gulf War Illness chemicals induces functional muscarinic receptor maladaptations in muscle nociceptors.

Chronic pain is a component of the multisymptom disease known as Gulf War Illness (GWI). There is evidence that pain symptoms could have been a consequence of prolonged and/or excessive exposure to anticholinesterases and other GW chemicals. We previously reported that rats exposed, for 8 weeks, to a mixture of anticholinesterases (pyridostigmine bromide, chlorpyrifos) and a Nav (voltage activated Na(+) channel) deactivation-inhibiting pyrethroid, permethrin, exhibited a behavior pattern that was consistent with a delayed myalgia. This myalgia-like behavior was accompanied by persistent changes to Kv (voltage activated K(+)) channel physiology in muscle nociceptors (Kv7, KDR). In the present study, we examined how exposure to the above agents altered the reactivity of Kv channels to a muscarinic receptor (mAChR) agonist (oxotremorine-M). Comparisons between muscle nociceptors harvested from vehicle and GW chemical-exposed rats revealed that mAChR suppression of Kv7 activity was enhanced in exposed rats. Yet in these same muscle nociceptors, a Stromatoxin-insensitive component of the KDR (voltage activated delayed rectifier K(+) channel) exhibited decreased sensitivity to activation of mAChR. We have previously shown that a unique mAChR-induced depolarization and burst discharge (MDBD) was exaggerated in muscle nociceptors of rats exposed to GW chemicals. We now provide evidence that both muscle and vascular nociceptors of naive rats exhibit MDBD. Examination of the molecular basis of the MDBD in naive animals revealed that while the mAChR depolarization was independent of Kv7, the action potential burst was modulated by Kv7 status. mAChR depolarizations were shown to be dependent, in part, on TRPA1. We argue that dysfunction of the MDBD could be a functional convergence point for maladapted ion channels and receptors consequent to exposure to GW chemicals.
A Nobel Lesson: The Grant Behind the Prize

In the News of the Week story “A knockout award in medicine” (12 October 2007, p. [178][1]), which describes the groundbreaking work leading to this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, G. Vogel writes, “Indeed, in the early 1980s, [Mario] Capecchi's grant application was rejected by
Is embolic protection during renal artery intervention really necessary

Atherosclerotic renovascular disease is an increasingly recognized cause of both renal function impairment and hypertension, and its presence is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and dialysis dependence. Although surgical renal revascularization is associated with the most favorable reported renal function outcomes, the significant perioperative mortality and complication rates have resulted in a shift to renal artery percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (RA-PTAS) as the most frequently performed method of revascularization. Renal function outcomes following RA-PTAS are less favorable, with patients experiencing functional improvement and deterioration with approximately equal frequency in reported series. Distal atheroembolization is thought to occur during RA-PTAS and has been suggested as a potential cause of the disparate renal function outcomes. Distal embolic protection devices primarily used and evaluated in the coronary and cerebrovascular circulations have also been successfully employed during RA-PTAS. Initial clinical results following RA-PTAS with distal embolic protection have been promising, with high rates of technical success, renal function outcomes that approximate those reported with open surgical revascularization, and maintenance of relatively low death and complication rates. Further investigation with controlled comparison groups is warranted before routine use of distal embolic protection can be uniformly endorsed.
Compact and Integral Operators

This chapter discusses compact operators in detail. Section 1 concerns convergence properties for sequences of bounded operators. We introduce compact operators in Section 2. The main result of the chapter is the spectral theorem for compact Hermitian operators. We provide additional discussion about integral operators, and we close the chapter with a glimpse at singular integral operators. This chapter prepares us for the applications in Chapter VII, where we use facts about compact operators to study positivity conditions for polynomials. Convergence properties for bounded linear transformations Completeness of the real number system is crucial for doing analysis; without it limits would be a useless concept. Similarly, completeness for metric spaces (such as Hilbert and Banach spaces) is needed for doing analysis in more general settings. We therefore begin this chapter with a short discussion of three possible notions for convergence of sequences of bounded linear transformations between Hilbert spaces. We write L ( H , H ′) for the vector space of bounded linear transformations between Hilbert spaces H and H ′. We mentioned in Section II.1 that L ( H , H ′) is a Banach space; in particular this space is complete. See Theorem V.1.4. We next consider three reasonable definitions of convergence in L ( H , H ′). Definition V.1.1. ( Notions of convergence for bounded linear transformations ) Let { L n } be a sequence in L ( H , H ′), let L ∈ L ( H , H ′). 1) { L n } converges to L in norm if the sequence of real numbers ∥ L n − L ∥ converges to 0. 2) { L n } converges to L in the strong operator topology if, for all z ∈ H the sequence { L n ( z )} converges to L ( z ) in H ′. […]
An Optimal Algorithm for Computing the Integer Closure of UTVPI Constraints

In this paper, we study the problem of computing the lattice point closure of a conjunction of Unit Two Variable Per Inequality (UTVPI) constraints. We accomplish this by adapting Johnson’s all pairs shortest path algorithm to UTVPI constraints. This problem has been extremely well-studied in the literature, inasmuch as it arises in a number of applications, including but not limited to, program verification and operations research. The complexity of solving this problem has steadily improved over the past several decades with the fastest algorithm for this problem running in time \(O(n^3)\) on a UTVPI constraint system with n variables and m constraints. For the same input parameters, we detail an algorithm that runs in time \(O(m\cdot n +n^2 \cdot \log n)\). It is clear that our algorithm is superior to the state of the art when the constraint system is sparse (\(m \in O(n)\)), and no worse than the state of the art when the constraint system is dense (\(m \in \varTheta (n^2)\)). It is worth noting that our algorithm is time optimal in the following sense: The best known running time for computing the closure of a conjunction of difference constraints (m constraints, n variables) is \(O(m\cdot n +n^2 \cdot \log n)\), and UTVPI constraints subsume difference constraints.
From Stability to Performance and Safety

In this chapter we extend the compositional approach from stability analysis to certifying performance and safety. Performance is defined as a desired dissipativity property for the interconnection, such as a prescribed gain from a disturbance input to a performance output. A storage function for the interconnection is synthesized as a weighted sum of subsystem storage functions and the weights are left as decision variables in a linear matrix inequality. Next we address the safety problem where the goal is to guarantee that trajectories starting in a prescribed set do not intersect a given unsafe set under a set of admissible disturbances. This time a weighted sum of subsystem storage functions serves as a barrier function for the interconnection.
O COMÉRCIO C2C NAS REDES SOCIAIS: UMA ANÁLISE DE GRUPOS NO FACEBOOK

The Internet has been changing the social and trade relations over the time, as the birth of e-commerce. Thus, it’s been responsible for the emergence of new business models, buyers and entrepreneurs. A change which has been consolidated through social media, where people have used the social networks not only to meet the needs to relate personally, but also to buy, sell and exchange products in such a fast way which has never been seen in web history before. This study aims to analyze how informal commercial transactions occurs in social media, into nine groups of sale and exchange between members of Rio Grande do Sul, especially in Canoas City and area, at Facebook space. This research is exploratory, descriptive with qualitative approach and method as the content analysis. Data collection was carried out through participant observation and document analysis of articles, journals and reports related to the subject. Ten thematic categories were found. They reveal subjective and objective aspects of this type of trade.
Beta-Globin Gene Targeting in Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells Using Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein and rAAV6

Theb-hemoglobinopathies including sickle cell disease (SCD) andb-thalassemia (b-thal) affect millions of people worldwide. SCD andb-thal are caused by mutations in theb-globin gene (HBB) resulting in either abnormal sickling or severely reduced protein production, respectively. A curative strategy for theb-hemoglobinopathies would be ex vivo HBB gene correction in patient-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT). We report the first CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform for achieving homologous recombination (HR) at the HBB gene in long-term repopulating HSCs derived from mobilized peripheral blood. We combine electroporation of Cas9 protein complexed with chemically modified sgRNAs and delivery of a HR donor by recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors, serotype 6 (rAAV6). Notably, by including a reporter gene in the HR donor, we are able to identify and purify a population of HSPCs with >90% of cells having targeted integration at the HBB gene. These cells can be identified because HR-mediated integration causes the reporter gene to be expressed at log-fold higher levels than the non-integrated reporter. When transplanted into immunodeficient mice, the purified population gives rise to engraftment of HBB-edited human cells in primary and secondary recipients, confirming the presence of long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs). Importantly, we show efficient correction of the SCD-causing E6V mutation in SCD patient-derived CD34+ HSPCs by either editing the nucleotide mutation or knocking in an anti-sicklingb-globin cDNA. Edited SCD CD34+ cells were shown to express adultb-globin (HbA) mRNA after HSPCs were differentiated into erythrocytes in vitro, confirming intact transcriptional regulation of the edited HBB allele.Collectively, these preclinical studies outline a CRISPR-based methodology for targeting HSCs for HR at the HBB locus to advance the development of next generation therapies forb-hemoglobinopathies. Disclosures Porteus:CRISPR Therapeutics: Consultancy, Equity Ownership.
Melphalan and Prednisone (MP) Versus Melphalan, Prednisone and Thalidomide (MPT) as Initial Therapy for Previously Untreated Elderly and/or Transplant Ineligible Patients with Multiple Myeloma: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Abstract Abstract 615 Background: Trials comparing efficacy of standard melphalan prednisone (MP) therapy with MP plus thalidomide (T) in the transplant ineligible, elderly patients with multiple myeloma have provided conflicting evidence. While there is greater agreement with regard to superior response rates (RR) with the addition of T to MP in elderly patients, the impact on progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) is less clear with some trials showing an improvement in PFS and/or OS with MPT and others demonstrating no difference in outcomes. We performed a systematic review to integrate the existing outcome data related to the efficacy of MP vs. MPT using a meta-analytic approach. Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic database through July 31st, 2009 was performed for publications, abstracts and presentations to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing MP with MPT. A meta-analysis was performed by pooling results on clinical endpoints of RR, PFS and OS reported in all the identified RCTs under a random effects model. We did not have access to individual patient data from these trials. Results: Overall, five prospective RCTs (3 published articles and 2 abstracts) comparing MP with MPT regimen and comprising a total of 1571 patients were identified. For the endpoints of OS and PFS, data were extractable only from 4 RCTs (abstract by Gulbrandsen et al. was excluded). The Bregg and Egger funnel plot for OS demonstrated a symmetric distribution (P = 0.6) indicating no significant publication bias. The test of heterogeneity among all RCTs was statistically significant in the estimate of RR (tau2=0.21; chi2=16.33; p=0.003 (df=4); I2 = 75.5%), but not significant for the estimates of PFS (tau2=0.01; chi2=4.61; p=0.2 (df=3); I2 = 34.9%), and OS (tau2=0.02; chi2=5.53; p=0.14 (df=3); I2 = 45.8%). As expected, the pooled odds ratio of responding to treatment with MP versus MPT was 0.307 (P Conclusion: Our meta-analysis implies that in previously untreated, transplant ineligible elderly patients with multiple myeloma, the addition of thalidomide to melphalan-prednisone demonstrates improved RR, PFS and OS compared with the use of melphalan-prednisone alone. Although the results from a comprehensive individual patient data pooled analysis would give a more precise estimate, our analysis suggests that MPT is superior to MP in terms of response and survival. Download : Download high-res image (148KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures: Dispenzieri: Celgene: Research Funding. Gertz: Celgene: Honoraria. Kumar: celgene, genzyme, millennium, novartis, bayer: Research Funding; genzyme: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.
Overcoming Newman’s Objection

Bertrand Russell (The analysis of matter. Routledge, London, 1927) defended a form of structuralism according to which all we can know about the world is structure. In response, Max Newman (Mind 37:137–148, 1928) raised a formidable challenge that threatens to turn structuralism into something trivial: as long as there are enough objects in the relevant domain, one can always obtain a structure suitable for that domain. In this paper, I consider two responses to this objection. The first is provided by Rudolf Carnap (The logical structure of the world. Trans. Rolf A. George. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1928/1967) in terms of founded relations. I argue that it ultimately fails. Another alternative insists that the structures that have content about the world are ultimately finite, and it is a non-trivial matter to figure out what the appropriate structure for finite domains ultimately is. Russell (The autobiography of Bertrand Russell, vol 2. Allen & Unwin, London, 1968, 176) briefly considered this option in his response to Newman, but did not develop it further. I argue that, when coupled with a proper account of detectable relations, it is a far more promising route than it may initially seem.
Repetition and Realismi the ‘Ligeia’ impulse in Theodor Storm’s Viola tricolor

Am Beispiel von Storms Novelle wird das Problem von Realismus und Reprasentation unter dem Aspekt von Wiederholung bzw. Widerstand gegen die Wiederholung untersucht. Vier “romantische” Hauptmotive nehmen das Problem auf: das Motiv der zweiten Frau, die die tote erste Frau wiederholen bzw. werden soll, das lebendige Portrait, das die Erzahlwelt zu uberwaltigen droht, die tote Geliebte als Muse und der verspukte Garten.
Neurologic Complications of Gastrointestinal Cancer

Neurologic complications of gastrointestinal cancers are relatively rare. Usually, the complications that do result are related to the direct spread of cancer to the affected areas of the central or peripheral nervous system. In this chapter, we review the relevant neurologic complications that can be seen with gastrointestinal malignancies.
Putting Your Best Egg Forward

In a recent issue of Nature, Bohnert and Kenyon (2017) describe a signaling pathway that prevents transgenerational inheritance of cytoplasmic protein aggregates. Fertilizing sperm trigger aggregate clearance in the ovum by a microautophagy-like effector mechanism mediated by inter-organelle communication between lysosomes and mitochondria.
Adherence intervention for HIV-infected persons who use drugs: adaptation, open trial, and pilot randomized hybrid type 1 trial protocol

HIV-infected people who use drugs (PWUD) exhibit the highest rates of non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV. This contributes to poor treatment outcomes, increased morbidity and mortality, and HIV transmission. However, current interventions fail to address the unique barriers to adherence faced by this population. Life Steps is a brief, single session intervention that demonstrated increased ART adherence among HIV-infected individuals. This study protocol seeks to improve clinical practice by adapting Life Steps for HIV-infected PWUD and adding a brief motivational intervention addressing drug use. This intervention will incorporate educational, motivational, and behavioral skills components specifically aimed at improving adherence and linkage to substance use treatment among HIV-infected PWUD. This project will consist of three phases using a mixed-methods approach. In Phase 1, qualitative interviews with HIV-infected PWUD and community providers, coupled with feedback from an expert review panel, will be used to enhance the existing Life Steps manual and interventionist training protocol. In Phase 2, the prototype will be pilot tested and qualitative exit interviews with HPWUD will identify the strengths and limitations of the intervention. Data regarding feasibility, acceptability, and barriers to delivery will guide modifications to finalize a modified Life Steps-Drug Use (LS-DU) protocol. In Phase 3, a pilot type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial will examine the effectiveness of LS-DU relative to a health education intervention control condition on ART adherence and viral load data at 1-, 3-, and 6-months. Data regarding clinic readiness for implementation and intervention sustainability potential will be collected. This protocol will adapt and evaluate an intervention to improve adherence among HIV-infected PWUD. Results of this study will provide significant data on the acceptability, initial effectiveness, and sustainability potential of an adherence intervention for a high risk and underserved population. Trial registration NCT02907697
Asparagine availability is an essential limiting factor for poxvirus protein synthesis

Virus actively interfaces with host metabolism because viral replication relies on host cells to provide nutrients and energy. For efficient viral replication in culture, vaccinia virus (VACV; the prototype poxvirus) prefers glutamine to glucose, to the extent that in glutamine-free medium, VACV replication is inefficient. Remarkably, VACV replication can be fully rescued from glutamine depletion by asparagine supplementation. By global metabolic profiling, genetic and chemical intervening of asparagine supply, we provide evidence demonstrating that the requirement of asparagine for efficient viral replication accounts for VACV's preference of glutamine to glucose, rather than because glutamine is superior to glucose in feeding the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Further, we show that asparagine availability is a critical factor for efficient viral protein synthesis. Our study highlights that the asparagine metabolism, whose regulation has been evolutionarily tailored in mammalian cells, presents a critical barrier to poxvirus replication, suggesting new directions of anti-viral strategy development.