cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated 3D morphometric difference biomarker for abnormal ventricular morphology

Background Left-ventricular (LV) shape remodeling has known association with cardiac pathophysiology and dysfunction. While a prolate spheroid shape is vital for optimal cardiac function, LV dilatation and high sphericity is characteristic of cardiomyopathy. Early quantification of abnormal LV morphology may potentially guide clinical decisions to check disease progression. However a quantitative biomarker of 3D LV morphometry is found wanting in routine clinical practice as an upgrade to the rudimentary sphericity index. Methods Spherical harmonics (SPHARM) shape descriptors were sought to quantify patient-specific LV shape. Morphometric variation from a normal LV shape was studied with application to diagnostic identification of cardiomyopathy. Cardiac MR (CMR) was employed for anatomical examination and end-diastolic LV endocardial surface models were segmented from short-axis SSFP cine scans of 11 pediatric subjects between the ages 2 and 17. Surface models were individually registered by rigid transformation and scaling to match the LV base diameter of a reference 17
A Longitudinal Study of the Roots of Preschoolers' Conscience: Committed Compliance and Emerging Internalization

The focus of this study is the complex relation between compliance and internalization in childhood. It is a replication and a longitudinal extension of earlier work, where we distinguished between 2 forms of compliance: committed, when the child eagerly embraced and endorsed the mother's agenda, and situational, when the child was cooperative, but lacked the sincere commitment and feeling of internal obligation. 99 children, seen previously at 26-41 months, were studied again at 43-56 months. Compliance and internalization were assessed in multiple observational contexts and using maternal reports. As at toddler age, the 2 forms of compliance had distinctly different developmental trajectories, and again, only committed compliance was significantly associated with measures of internalization. Moreover, committed but not situational compliance at toddler age predicted internalization at preschool age. Shared positive affect within the mother-child dyad at toddler age predicted some measures of internalization at preschool age. Further evidence of significant differences in children's compliance to maternal "dos" versus "don'ts" is reported.
Variation in plasma leptin concentrations after unilateral nephrectomy

Abstract The temporal changes in plasma leptin concentrations were studied in healthy adults who underwent unilateral nephrectomy. Another group who underwent abdominal surgery for repair of aneurysm or to relieve arterial stenosis, was also studied. Plasma leptin concentrations increased to 230% [plusmn] 74% of prenephrectomy levels at 8 to 16 hours after surgery and then generally declined. Subjects with prenephrectomy leptin concentrations above 14 [mu ]L maintained elevated postnephrectomy levels, whereas subjects with low prenephrectomy concentrations had final leptin levels below prenephrectomy concentrations. Abdominal surgery subjects did not manifest the increase after surgery, but generally had declining concentrations throughout the convalescent period. Free and bound fractions of plasma leptin and leptin binding capacity were measured in the prenephrectomy and peak specimens (8 to 16 hours postnephrectomy) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The increase in total leptin postnephrectomy largely affected the free fraction of leptin, without significant increase in bound leptin or leptin binding capacity. We conclude that (1) plasma leptin concentrations increase acutely after nephrectomy, consistent with the role of the kidneys in eliminating circulating leptin; (2) plasma leptin concentrations decline thereafter, suggesting activation of compensatory elimination capacity; and (3) the postnephrectomy peak in total leptin increases primarily free leptin.
Chiral resolution and stereospecificity of 6-phenyl-4-phenylethynyl- 1,4-dihydropyridines as selective A(3) adenosine receptor antagonists.

Racemic 6-phenyl-4-phenylethynyl-1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives have been shown to be highly selective A3 adenosine receptor antagonists (Jiang et al. J. Med. Chem. 1997, 40, 2596−2608). Methods for resolving the optical isomers at the C4 position, involving selective crystallization or chromatographic separation of diastereomeric ester derivatives, have been developed. Optically pure glycerol and threitol derivatives were used as chiral auxiliary groups for ester formation at the 3-position, resulting in diastereomeric mixtures of dihydropyridines. Esterification of a 6-phenyl-4-phenylethynyl-1,4-dihydropyridine derivative at the 3-position with a chiral, protected glycerol moiety, (S)-(+)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, allowed the selective crystallization of a pure diastereomer, 9. The 1H NMR spectrum of 9 using the lanthanide shift reagent Eu(fod)3 indicated optical purity, and the (4S,2‘R)-configuration was assigned using X-ray crystallography. The noncrystalline (4R,2‘R)-isomer 10 was also ...
Scanning Force Microscopy Investigation of Surface Forces at the Tungsten Oxide/Lithium Borate Interface

Ultrahigh-vacuum scanning force microscopy (UHV SFM) was used to measure force-distance (FD) interactions between electrochemically etched clean and oxidized tungsten tips and an in situ deposited lithium borate film. For the case of the oxidized tip, application of a potential difference between the tip and sample allowed lithium to be cycled into and back out of the oxide layer in the tungsten tip. Reproducible changes in the shape and magnitude of the force-distance interaction were observed.
On living in Nirvana

I am called herewith a collaborator-in-chief, mountain climber, and prophet. They all arise from the writers' largesse, not facts on the ground. But I will embrace them momentarily and then turn to...
Development of a shuttle vector and a conjugative transfer system for Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

Abstract An original genetic system for Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae has been developed. A shuttle cloning vector, pYG53, was constructed from the wild-type plasmid pYG10. It permits, in conjunction with electroporation, the introduction of cloned genes into this species. A conjugal transfer system between Escherichia coli and A. pleuropneumoniae involving pYG54, a mobilizable derivative of pYG53, is also described. Conjugation efficiencies of 8.3 × 10−3 exconjugants per donor can be obtained.
Seismic reflection evidence for seismogenic low-angle faulting in southeastern Arizona

Focal mechanisms for large (M > 6) earthquakes in extensional terranes suggest that seismogenic normal faults have dips that range from {approximately}30{degree} to {approximately}70{degree}. Geologic relations suggest that low-angle faults have accommodated large-scale upper-crustal extension. These disparate observations are often reconciled by arguments that low-angle faults move aseismically or rotate to low angles from initially high angles. Seismic reflection data from the Tucson basin in southeast Arizona image a low-angle normal fault (the Santa Rita fault) that crops out along the trend of late Quaternary fault scarps caused by large-magnitude (M {approximately} 6.7-7.6) earthquakes. Velocity-independent dip analysis from shot records of the Santa Rita fault indicates that it has a true dip of {approximately}20{degree} to a depth of at least 6km. This observation suggests that low-angle extensional faults indeed may be seismogenic and that actual mechanisms for accommodation of upper-crustal extension depend on local conditions of stress and preexisting geologic structure.
Increased expression of the dsRNA-activated protein kinase PKR in breast cancer promotes sensitivity to doxorubicin.

It has been reported that the expression and activity of the interferon-inducible, dsRNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR, is increased in mammary carcinoma cell lines and primary tumor samples. To extend these findings and determine how PKR signaling may affect breast cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapy, we measured PKR expression by immunohistochemical staining of 538 cases of primary breast cancer and normal tissues. Significantly, PKR expression was elevated in ductal, lobular and squamous cell carcinomas or lymph node metastases but not in either benign tumor specimens or cases of inflammation compared to normal tissues. Furthermore, PKR expression was increased in precancerous stages of mammary cell hyperplasia and dysplasia compared to normal tissues, indicating that PKR expression may be upregulated by the process of tumorigenesis. To test the function of PKR in breast cancer, we generated MCF7, T-47D and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines with significantly reduced PKR expression by siRNA knockdown. Importantly, while knockdown of PKR expression had no effect on cell proliferation under normal growth conditions, MCF7, T-47D or MDA-MB-231 cells with reduced PKR expression or treated with a small molecule PKR inhibitor were significantly less sensitive to doxorubicin or H2O2-induced toxicity compared to control cells. In addition, the rate of eIF2α phosphorylation following treatment with doxorubicin was delayed in breast cancer cell lines with decreased PKR expression. Significantly, treatment of breast cancer lines with reduced PKR expression with either interferon-α, which increases PKR expression, or salubrinal, which increases eIF2α phosphorylation, restored doxorubicin sensitivity to normal levels. Taken together these results indicate that increased PKR expression in primary breast cancer tissues may serve as a biomarker for response to doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy and that future therapeutic approaches to promote PKR expression/activation and eIF2α phosphorylation may be beneficial for the treatment of breast cancer.
CYTOGENETIC STUDIES OF DEFICIENT‐DUPLICATE CHROMOSOMES DERIVED FROM INVERSION HETEROZYGOTES IN MAIZE

THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION was the outgrowth of studies of the chromosome homology of maize from Central and South America. Strains of maize from Latin America exhibit an extraordinarily wide range of phenotypic appearance owing to genic differences. Since many of these strains presumably have been isolated for centuries, it was thought possible that the genic diversity had been accompanied by changes in chromosomal structure. Cooper and Brink (1937) found no evidence of reciprocal translocations in their study of chromosome homology in 55 strains of maize from Latin America but their method of analysis would not permit the detection of inversions. Inasmuch as inversions in Drosophila populations are of frequent occurrence (Patterson and Stone, 1952) while reciprocal translocations are rarely encountered, it seemed desirable to test exotic races of maize for the presence of inverted segments. F1 seed from crosses of two genetic testers with 90 different races of Latin American origin was obtained through the courtesy of Dr. P. C. Mangelsdorf. Eighty-five of these hybrid combinations involved a Pr-tester and five, a Tu stock. Microsporocytes for cytological examination were collected from a number of plants of each F1 family. Pollen samples were obtained for all of the F1 individuals. Plants heterozygous for a single reciprocal translocation usually have 50 per cent of aborted pollen and ovules while plants heterozygous for inversions produce varying amounts of aborted grains depending on the frequency of crossing over within the inverted segment. The absence of any considerable amount of aborted pollen indicated that all of the 85 progenies involving the Pr-tester possessed chromosomes with no major structural differences. In two of the five families where the Tu line was used, all of the plants had approximately 20 per cent aborted pollen while in two other families one half of the plants had a comparable degree of pollen abortion and the other half had all normal grains. The fifth family consisted only of plants with all normal pollen. When the cytological material from the four families with aborted pollen was examined it was found that all plants with aborted grains were heterozygous for a paracentric inversion in chromosome 3. There was no evidence of reciprocal translocation in any of the 90 exotic races nor was there any indication of inversions. The inversion found was obviously one which came from the Tu stock where it was segregating since some plants were homozygous normal, others homozygous for the inversion and some were heterozygous. It should be recognized
Exact and approximate solutions for randomly excited MDOF non-linear systems

An exact solution technique is developed to obtain stationary probability densities for a class of multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) non-linear systems under Gaussian white-noise excitations, without the restriction of equipartition of kinetic energies as with the case of previous exact solutions. The conditions under which exact solutions are obtainable are given. When these conditions are not satisfied, approximate solutions are obtained on the basis of minimum weighted residuals. Examples are given for illustration.
Comparison of sedimentation-compression curves obtained by nuclear and gravimetric methods for Wilkinson Basin, Gulf of Maine, sediments

Abstract Accurate measurements of bulk density are important in the construction of sedimentation-compression curves of water-saturated, fine-grained cohesive sediments for consolidation studies. The bulk density of five cores was measured nondestructively on a laboratory nuclear transmission densitometer and the water content, expressed as void ratio, was derived from an empirical relationship between bulk density and water content. Bulk density and water content measured destructively was determined every 10 cm for a comparison with the nuclear data. Agreement between nuclear and gravimetric methods was within ± 0.02 g/cm 3 for bulk density ranging from 1.2 to 1.4 g/cm 3 . Sedimentation-compression curves made using both methods were in generally good agreement. In the Wilkinson Basin, void ratio gradually decreases with increasing effective overburden pressure. This indicates that consolidation by dewatering the surficial sediments is normal and that the environmental conditions during deposition remained relatively constant.
Effects of ITS-based left turn policies on network performance

Increasing transportation network capacity is very important, particularly in congested traffic condition. In certain conditions, providing left turn green time could reduce intersection capacity because of: a) larger lost time due to added phase, and b) shorter green time for the through traffic movements. In this study, we will compare the effects of three ITS-based left turn policies on the performance of a congested transportation network. The base policy is allowing left turns in all intersections along a corridor of the network with high traffic demand. The second policy is prohibiting them in some intersections of that corridor, while the third policy is removing these turning movements from all intersections along that corridor. When a left turn is removed, the left turners are rerouted in the network. To make sure that in each policy the network is working at its optimal condition, we used Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to determine optimal signal timing parameters for each policy. The results showed that prohibiting left turns in every other intersection along an arterial of the case study network increased the total number of vehicles processed by the network by 6.6% and resulted in a total of 2550 processed vehicles and reduced average delay per vehicle by 10.7% resulting in delay of 196.3 seconds per vehicle. Removing left turns from all intersections along an arterial of the network increased the total number of vehicles processed by the network by 9.1% and resulted in 2607 processed vehicles. This policy resulted in a decrease in average delay per vehicle by 3.1% and resulted in 213.0 seconds of delay per vehicle. Thus, in periods of heavy traffic demand for through movement and low traffic demand for left turns, prohibiting left turns in all or some intersections of a network could result in a significant increase in the performance of the network as well as a significant decrease in delay per vehicle.
Phase ordering in blend films of semi‐crystalline and amorphous polymers

A combination of optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used for probing changes in the morphology of polymer blend films that accompany phase ordering processes (phase separation and crystallization). The phase separation morphology of a model semi-crystalline (polyethyleneoxide or PEO) and amorphous (polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA) polymer blend film is compared to previous observations on binary amorphous polymer blend films of polystyrene (PS) and polyvinylmethylether (PVME). The phase separation patterns are found to be similar except that crystallization of the film at high PEO concentrations obscures the observation of phase separation. The influence of film defects (e.g., scratches) and clay filler particles on the structure of the semi-crystalline and amorphous polymer films is also investigated.
Fixed-bed fermentation of rice straw and chicken manure using a mixed culture of marine mesophilic microorganisms

A mixture of rice straw (80%) and chicken manure (20%) was pretreated and fermented to carboxylic acids by using a mixed culture of marine mesophilic microorganisms. Two sets of four fermentors, built from PVC pipes, were used for both biomass pretreatment and fermentation. Four 1L fermentors (F1-F4) were arranged in series, where liquid fermentation products were transferred from one fermentor to the other, to form a train. A liquid volume of 10mL and 15mL were transferred every four days for Trains A and B, respectively. The maximum total acid concentration for F1 in Train A was 34.2g/L and the maximum acid concentration in F2-F4 was approximately 44g/L. The maximum total acid concentration in F1 in Train B was 30.5g/L and the maximum acid concentration in F2-F4 was approximately 48g/L. The conversion in each of the fermentors in Train A varied from 0.821 to 0.879g VS digested/g VS fed and the yield was in the range 0.489-0.609g total acids/g VS fed. The conversion and yield in Train B were 0.741-0.914g VS digested/g VS fed and 0.563-0.669g total acids/g VS fed, respectively. The continuum particle distribution model (CPDM) predicted acid concentrations and retention times in the fixed-bed fermentation system with R(2) of 0.67-0.84 in Trains A and B.
Negative magnetoresistance in the c-axis resistivity of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ delta and YBa2Cu3O6+x.

The c-axis resistivity ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{c}}$ in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ and oxygen-reduced ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6+\mathrm{x}}$ is quite sensitive to a magnetic field H. The magnetoresistance (MR) is large (1% at 14 T and 100 K), weakly anisotropic, and negative over a wide range of temperatures T above the critical temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$. The magnitude of the MR is activated in temperature with a characteristic energy ${\mathit{U}}_{\mathit{L}}$ that varies with the oxygen content \ensuremath{\delta}. We interpret the activated form of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{c}}$ and the negative MR in terms of a pseudogap \ensuremath{\Delta} that is slightly reduced by H.
Ripe for the Plucking: Centralized and Consolidated Library Budgets as Revenue Streams for Profit.

Purpose – The rise of academic librarian professionalism coincided with the consolidation and centralization of university libraries. The resulting consolidation of the materials budget offered a revenue stream exploited by increasingly large publishers. Since publishers will always attempt to maximize their profits, the only way to restrict unlimited access to library funds is through reverting to decentralization. One such method is the creation of modules without overlapping funding. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach – This paper relies on a wide range of academic library economic literature in an attempt to clarify the structural problem of library budgeting as well as to find means to reverse the slide into budgetary collapse.Findings – Professional librarians have over‐centralized academic libraries. This has provided publishers in the past with profitable revenue streams that continue to expand even while the library's ability to maintain funding has c...
Teaching and Learning Styles Of Community College Business Instructors and Their Students: Relationship to Student Performance and Instructor Evaluations

This study was designed to determine whether a match between instructors' teaching styles and students' learning styles would foster student success as evidenced by higher course grades and final exam scores. Further, student evaluations of instructors were examined to determine whether a match between instructors' teaching styles and students' learning styles would yield more positive evaluations of instructor effectiveness. Study participants included five business instructors and 99 students from two community colleges. There was no significant relationship between learning style/teaching style match and student success as indicated by course grades, final exam scores, and evaluations of instructors. A significant relationship existed, however, between course grades, final exam scores, instructor evaluations, and GPA.
Backward Adaptation for Power Efficient Sampling

Advances in sampling and coding theory have contributed significantly towards lowering power consumption of resource-constrained devices, e.g. battery-operated sensor nodes, enabling them to operate for extended periods of time. In this paper, rate and energy efficiency of a recently proposed adaptive nonuniform sampling framework by Feizi , called Time-Stampless Adaptive Nonuniform Sampling (TANS), is examined and compared against state-of-the-art methods. TANS addresses one of the main limitations of nonuniform sampling schemes: sampling times do not need to be stored/transmitted since they can be computed using a function of previously taken samples. The sampling rate is adapted continuously with the aim of reducing the rate and therefore the energy consumption of the sampling process when the signal is varying slowly. Three TANS methods are proposed for different signal models and sampling requirements: i) TANS by polynomial extrapolation, which only assumes the third derivative of the signal is bounded but requires no other specific knowledge of the signal; ii) TANS by incremental variation, where the sampling time intervals are chosen from a lattice; and iii) TANS constrained to a finite set of sampling rates. Practical implementation details of TANS are discussed, and its rate and energy performance are compared with uniform sampling followed by a transformation-based compression, nonuniform sampling, and compressed sensing. Our results demonstrate that TANS provides significant improvements in terms of both the rate-distortion performance and the energy consumption compared against the other approaches.
Effect of Acid on Productivity of Fractured Shale Reservoirs

While production from shale formation has been made possible mainly by advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, there are still many challenges in production from these reserves. While slick water fracturing technique stimulates a large reservoir volume through generation of complex fracture systems, very sharp production decline has been observed in many reservoirs. One of the main reason for this rapid decline is the limited contribution to flow from smaller fracture networks generated, which do not received much proppant. These proppant-less artificial and natural fractures heal up once the net pressure in the fracture goes below the closure stress and hence reduce the producible region only to the primary fractures. To make the production from the shale plays sustainable over the life of a well, there is a need to make sure that the network of natural fractures, secondary, and tertiary artificial fractures are conductive and remain productive even after increase in closure stress. While generation of massive fracture system will not be possible without low viscosity slick water, proppant placement will be limited only to the primary fractures with this technique. In order to overcome this challenge of low conductivity fracture network, we tested a technique of combining reactive fluid with slick water fracturing. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of reactive fluid on shale formations. Eagle Ford being rich in acid soluble mineralogy was used for the experiments. Based on the experience from the conventional acid stimulation, 15 wt% HCl acid was used for all the experiments. Experiments involved soaking of the core samples, injection of acid into proppant-laden fractures of different widths, both before and after proppant placement under identical treatment conditions. Experimental results show significant dissolution of the rock sample and sufficient increase in the connected pore network. The acid injection through the fractures generated channel etching pattern. With the exception of core sample soaked under pressure, all other conditions showed reduction in the fracture conductivity post acidization. The decrease in rock strength and embedment of proppant on fracture face were observed and might be two of the main reasons for loss of fracture conductivity. The increase in the porosity and favorable etching pattern observed indicate that acid treatment of fractures could be a beneficial stimulation technique which can keep the proppant-less fractures open and conductive even after the increase in closure stress. More research needs to be done to fine tune the chemical recipe of a reactive fluid that can generate favorable etching without much reduction in rock strength. The technique of combining reactive fluid and proppant in fracture stimulation might be able to lead to longer economical production from shale formation with reduced rate of conductivity decline.
Reduction of shaft voltages and bearing currents in five-phase induction motors

Induction motors are commonly used in numerous industrial applications. To maintain a reliable operation of the motor, it is important to identify the potential faults that may cause the motor to fail. Bearing failures are one of the main causes of motor breakdown. In some cases, bearings fail due to the electric current passing through them. In this paper, bearing currents in inverter driven five-phase induction motors are studied and a novel solution is proposed. First, theories of shaft voltage and bearing current are presented. Then, new switching patterns are proposed for the five-phase induction motor. The system is simulated and the results of the new switching patterns are compared with the conventional switching pattern. Finally, the new schemes are experimentally tested using a digital signal processor (DSP) to control the power converter. The experiments verified that the new switching pattern could reduce shaft voltages and bearing current without affecting motor performance.
Increasing Mathematical Problem-Solving Performance through Relaxation Training

Two intact classes of 30 undergraduate students enrolled in the same general education mathematics course were each administered the IPSP Mathematics Problem Solving Test and the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale at the beginning and end of the semester. Both groups experienced the same syllabus, lectures, course requirements, and assessment techniques; however, one group received relaxation training during an initial class meeting and during the first 5 to 7 minutes of each subsequent class. The group which had received relaxation training had significantly lower mathematics anxiety and significantly higher mathematics performance at the end of the course. The results suggest that relaxation training may be a useful tool for treating anxiety in undergraduate general education mathematics students.
The puzzle of educating the client with a cardiovascular disorder: Making all the pieces fit

The focus of the education process is to enhance and improve the quality of care received by clients with cardiovascular diseases. The authors provide theories and principles of teaching with very practical application for the home health care nurse.
Enabling the 70-nm technology node with 193-nm altPSM lithography

The likely possibility of having to support the 70 nm technology node with 193 nm lithography is lithography. The extremely significant resolution challenges and the ability of strong resolution enhancement techniques (RET) to meet them, is discussed. Evidence is presented that all strong RET impact the design flow by imposing nontrivial design restrictions. Data from an in-depth alternating phase shifted mask design feasibility assessment, conducted on the poly-gate level of the 180 nm technology node, is presented to give an outlook on the feasibility of RET-enabled design flows. Anticipated complications in taking such RET-enabled design flows to the complexity required for multiple critical levels of the 70nm node are discussed. An EDA solution focusing on complete integration of RET layout manipulations into the design flow is contrasted to an approach focusing on complex, optimized design rule comprises.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Generic Local Uniqueness and Stability in Polarization Tomography

The problem of polarization tomography is considered on a Riemannian manifold. This problem comes from the physical problem of recovering the anisotropic part of the dielectric permittivity tensor of a quasi-isotropic medium from polarization measurements made around the boundary, but is more general. In greater than three dimensions local uniqueness and stability are established for generic background metrics, and near generic tensor fields through the study of a related linear inverse problem. The same results are established on a natural subspace of tensor fields in dimension three.
Predicting QT prolongation in humans during early drug development using hERG inhibition and an anaesthetized guinea-pig model

Background and purpose: Drug-induced prolongation of the QT interval can lead to torsade de pointes, a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia. Finding appropriate assays from among the plethora of options available to predict reliably this serious adverse effect in humans remains a challenging issue for the discovery and development of drugs. The purpose of the present study was to develop and verify a reliable and relatively simple approach for assessing, during preclinical development, the propensity of drugs to prolong the QT interval in humans. Experimental approach: Sixteen marketed drugs from various pharmacological classes with a known incidence—or lack thereof—of QT prolongation in humans were examined in hERG (human ether a-go-go-related gene) patch-clamp assay and an anaesthetized guinea-pig assay for QT prolongation using specific protocols. Drug concentrations in perfusates from hERG assays and plasma samples from guinea-pigs were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Key results: Various pharmacological agents that inhibit hERG currents prolong the QT interval in anaesthetized guinea-pigs in a manner similar to that seen in humans and at comparable drug exposures. Several compounds not associated with QT prolongation in humans failed to prolong the QT interval in this model. Conclusions and implications: Analysis of hERG inhibitory potency in conjunction with drug exposures and QT interval measurements in anaesthetized guinea-pigs can reliably predict, during preclinical drug development, the risk of human QT prolongation. A strategy is proposed for mitigating the risk of QT prolongation of new chemical entities during early lead optimization. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 154, 1446–1456; doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.267; published online 30 June 2008
Combining code reordering and cache configuration

The instruction cache is a popular optimization target due to the cache's high impact on system performance and power and because of the cache's predictable temporal and spatial locality. This article is an in depth study on the interaction of code reordering (a long-known technique) and cache configuration (a relatively new technique). Experimental results show that code reordering coupled with cache configuration reveals additional energy savings as high as 10--15p for several benchmarks with reduced cache area as high as 48p. To exploit these additional benefits, we architect and evaluate several design exploration heuristics for combining these two methods.
Divisible Activities in Critical Path Analysis

A critical path scheduling problem is investigated in which a single activity can have its completion time divided up and allocated to different "locations" in the project precedence network. An algorithm for determining the allocation that minimizes total project duration is given, together with an outline of an optimality proof, and an example. Although the algorithm is very similar to those used in network-flow type problems, and uses only integer-valued variables, the final results for the divisible-activity network are, in general, rational numbers.
Loss of antibody titers and effectiveness of revaccination in post-chemotherapy pediatric sarcoma patients

Background Little is known about the effects of chemotherapy on patient antibody titers to vaccine-preventable infectious diseases; thus, there is no standard protocol for revaccinating post-chemotherapy patients. Procedures To assess losses of detectable antibody titers due to chemotherapy, we retrospectively examined antibody titers for tetanus, varicella, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and polio in 109 pediatric sarcoma patients. We also evaluated revaccination data to determine current practices and efficacy of revaccination. We limited our sample to osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma patients to control for the chemotherapy regimen patients received. Results Patients had pre-treatment detectable antibody titer that fell within the range of healthy children's antibody titers. However, 71% of patients had post-chemotherapy negative titers for at least one infectious disease. Patients most commonly had negative titers for hepatitis B (64%). Few patients had negative titers for measles (14%), mumps (9%), rubella (4%), polio 1 (0%), polio 2 (2.9%), polio 3 (4.8%), tetanus (5%), or varicella (11%). Revaccinations most frequently administered were hepatitis B and polio. Conclusions Our findings suggest that post-chemotherapy patients may need to be revaccinated against certain vaccine-preventable diseases including hepatitis B, tetanus, varicella, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella. Larger studies need to be performed to establish guidelines for revaccinating post-chemotherapy pediatric patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:656–660. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Scaling law for structural metastability in semiconductor nanocrystals

In contrast to extended solids, nanometer size crystals convert from one structure to another by single nucleation events, and the transformation obey simple kinetics. Barrier heights are observed to increase in nanocrystals of larger size, but also depend on the nature of the nanocrystal surface. These results are analogous to magnetic phase transitions in nanocrystals and suggest some general rules which may be of use in the discovery of new metastable phases.
A high efficiency tile-fiber hodoscope read out by multichannel phototubes

Abstract Plastic scintillator tiles of 7 mm × 8 mm cross section with an embedded green wavelength shifting fiber form the elements of an x − y hodoscope to be used in the g-2 experiment at Brookhaven. The fibers are read out through 1.5 m clear fibers by a new “low crosstalk” design of the Phillips multi-channel photomultiplier tube XP1723/D1. An average light yield of 30 photoelectrons are produced in a standard bialkali tube per minimum ionizing particle. Detection efficiencies of 98.6% averaged across an assembled plane can be completely accounted for by the measured 110 μm of paint thickness between elements. Data is presented on the light yield and attenuation of the hodoscope elements; the crosstalk, uniformity, and fast gating of the multichannel tubes; and the overall performance of the device in a test beam.
Ecological determinants of food plant choice in the checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas editha in Colorado.

The larvae of Euphydryas editha in Gunnison County, Colorado, feed on Castilleja linariifolia. Two related plants, C. chromosa and Penstemon strictus, occur in the same area and are equally nutritious, but are not eaten. Restriction to C. linariifolia appears to be a case of ecological monophagy — survival on the other two species is less likely not because of their biochemical make-up but because of their ecological characteristics, primarily their phenologies.
Ultraconvergence of ZZ patch recovery at mesh symmetry points

The ultraconvergence property of the Zienkiewicz-Zhu gradient patch recovery technique based on local discrete least-squares fitting is established for a large class of even-order finite elements. The result is valid at all rectangular mesh symmetry points. Different smoothing strategies are discussed and numerical examples are demonstrated.
Putting Universal Design for Learning on the Higher Ed Agenda

This article provides an overview of how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) applies to higher education. Illustrations of UDL implementation are made, using both campus models of systemic change a...
Infrared-induced reaction of Cl atoms trapped in solid parahydrogen

The 355 nm photodissociation of Cl2 trapped in a solid parahydrogen matrix at 2 K leads to the formation of isolated Cl photofragments. At these low temperatures (kBT ≈ 1.4 cm−1), the Cl atoms can not react with the parahydrogen matrix since the reaction Cl + H2(v = 0, j = 0) → HCl(v = 0, j = 0) + H is endothermic by 360 cm−1. Irradiation of the Cl atom doped parahydrogen solid with broadband infrared radiation from 4000 cm−1 to 5000 cm−1 induces reaction of atomic Cl with the parahydrogen matrix to form HCl. The infrared-induced chemistry is attributed to solid parahydrogen absorptions that lead to the creation of vibrationally excited H2(v = 1), which supply the necessary energy to induce reaction. The kinetics of this low temperature infrared-induced reaction is studied using Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy of the HCl reaction product. The HCl formation kinetics is first-order and the magnitude of the effective rate constant for the infrared-induced reaction depends on the properties of the near infrared radiation.
Assessing and managing male sexual problems.

Men are more likely than women to present with and receive treatment for sexual problems. Nevertheless, they usually find them very difficult to talk about, and an initial perception that their problem is being dismissed can considerably delay or prevent their seeking further help. Time spent establishing as clearly as possible the nature of the problem is well spent, as it should lead to more effective treatment and may be therapeutic in itself. Likewise, talking to the partner can reveal a very different picture and can substantially alter management as well as have a therapeutic impact.1 Sometimes quite simple interventions—information, reassurance, contraceptive advice, or an opportunity to talk to a member of the primary care team with some basic problem solving or non-directive counselling—can resolve problems that have been a source of considerable distress to patient and partner. Suggesting sources of self help information such as books on sexuality can also be valuable. When the problem persists despite primary care intervention, further help from other services can be sought, although the provision of services for sexual problems in Britain is variable and rarely enough to meet demand. Optimum assessment and treatment is provided in a multidisciplinary setting, but such clinics are scarce and most patients will be referred to services that have a particular approach. The choice of where to refer a patient will therefore have a critical effect on treatment and, possibly, outcome. The accepted diagnostic categories for sexual dysfunction described in ICD-10 (international classification of diseases, 10th revision) and DSM-IV ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fourth revision) do not reflect the reality of sexual dysfunctions in the clinical setting. When these classifications are used it must be remembered that ### What constitutes a sexual problem?
Africa in the War on Terrorism

Locating the African political scene within the new global paradigm of the war on terrorism, the A. inquires into the impact of the events of 9/11 on the international relations of African states within emerging new transnational forces, centering on American foreign policy toward Africa and on possible scenarios of African responses. He explores pressures and opportunities emerging and contemplate practical reactions by a new generation of African leaders. Africans have a stake in resisting terrorism and playing a role in a winning coalition. Their interests in development, security, open societies, and decent governance are enhanced by cooperation in the war on terrorism that also include elements of the African diaspora and the North American Africanist community.
Global Attractors and Robustness of the Boissonade System

In this work, the existence and properties of a global attractor for the weak solution semiflow of the Boissonade system are proved. A parameter adjusting and grouping estimation method is developed to show the absorbing property and asymptotic compactness of the solution trajectories of this reaction-diffusion system with quadratic and cubic nonlinearity. The upper-semicontinuity of the global attractors in the \(H^1\) product space for the solution semiflow with respect to the quadratic term coefficient converging to zero is proved. The barrier of the perturbed singularity between zero quadratic term coefficient and non-zero one is overcome by the uniform adjusting parameter.
Cloud and convection frequencies over the southeast United States as related to small-scale geographic features

Based on relatively high spatial and temporal resolution satelite data collected at 0700 CST and at each hour from 1000 CST to 1700 CST during the summer of 1986, cloud and convection variations over the area from Mississippi east to Georgia and from the Gulf of Mexico north to Tennessee are discussed. The data analyses show an average maximum cloud frequency over the land areas at 1400 local time and a maximum of deep convection one hour later. Both cloudiness and deep convection are found to be at a maximum during the nocturnal hours over the Gulf of Mexico. Cloud frequency shows a strong relationship to small terrain features. Small fresh water bodies have cloud minima relative to the surroundings in the afternoon hours. Higher, steep terrain shows cloud maxima and the adjacent lower terrain exhibits afternoon cloud minima due to a divergence of mountain breeze caused by the valley.
Needs and Opportunities in the Assessment and Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Hip : The View of the Rheumatologist

Osteoarthritis represents a major therapeutic challenge to medical and health-care providers. In part, this is related to the limited tools that are available for assessing the structural state of joint tissues and to the lack of effective therapies to alter the natural history of osteoarthritis progression. From a clinical and pathologic perspective, osteoarthritis is not a homogeneous disorder, and the underlying pathogenic mechanisms differ among individuals. Even in the same individual, the pathologic processes and etiologic mechanisms may differ at specific stages of disease progression. In the development of strategies for effective intervention, several issues need to be considered. First, the stage of osteoarthritis progression must be considered. Therapies that are effective prior to the development of structural alterations may have limited utility in later stages. Similarly, treatments for late-stage osteoarthritis need to be adapted and adjusted to target specific symptoms that are amenable to modification. Despite the limited therapeutic options available for the treatment of osteoarthritis, there are interventions that have been shown to be beneficial. These include preventive strategies as well as specific interventions, such as the judicious use of analgesic medications for the control of pain. It is essential to develop an integrated multidisciplinary approach to osteoarthritis; this approach should be one that involves medical and surgical specialists as well as other health-care providers. In addition, further clinical and basic-science research is needed so that improved and more effective therapies for osteoarthritis as well as better methods for monitoring and assessing the efficacy of treatment interventions can be developed.
Sums of exponential functions having only real zeros

Let Hn(z) be the function of a complex variable z defined by where the summation is over all 2n possible plus and minus sign combinations, the same sign combination being used in both the argument of G and in the exponent. The numbers \({{a_1,a_2,a_3,\ldots}}\) and \({{b_1,b_2,b_3,\ldots}}\) are assumed to be positive, and G is an entire function of genus 0 or 1 that is real on the real axis and has only real zeros. Then the function Hn(z) has only real zeros.
Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract: A Genetic Disorder?

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUTs) occur in 3-6 per 1000 live births, account for the most cases of pediatric end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and predispose an individual to hypertension and cardiovascular disease throughout life. Although CAKUTs are a part of many known syndromes, only few single-candidate causative genes have been implicated so far in nonsyndromic cases of human CAKUT. Evidence from mouse models supports the hypothesis that non-syndromic human CAKUT may be caused by single-gene defects. Because increasing numbers of children with CAKUT are surviving to adulthood, better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of CAKUT, development of new strategies aiming at prevention of CAKUT, preservation of renal function, and avoidance of associated cardiovascular morbidity are needed. In this paper, we will focus on the knowledge derived from the study of syndromic and non-syndromic forms of CAKUT in humans and mouse mutants to discuss the role of genetic, epigenetic, and in utero environmental factors in the pathogenesis of non-syndromic forms of CAKUT in children with particular emphasis on the genetic contributions to CAKUT.
Magnetism, magneto-crystalline anisotropy, magnetostriction and MOKE at surfaces and interfaces

Abstract A major issue for first-principles theory in magnetism is the treatment of the weak spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and its subsequent effects in magnetic transition metal bulk, surfaces and multilayers. Using either a perturbative or a self-consistent approach for SOC, we have recently investigated important phenomena such as magnetic crystalline anisotropy (MCA), magnetostriction, and magneto-optical Kerr effects (MOKE) in various transition metal systems using the highly precise local density full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) method. With the aid of accurate total energy and atomic force approaches based on the LDA and GGA formalisms, the atomic structures of all the surfaces and interfaces are fully relaxed. Excellent agreement with experiment has been achieved for most of the systems investigated in terms of their equilibrium geometries, MCA energies, magnetostrictive coefficients and MOKE spectra.