cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An adverse interaction between warfarin and 5-fluorouracil: A case report and review of the literature

Adverse interactions between warfarin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) have been reported. Such an interaction occurred in a patient with lung cancer receiving vinblastine and 5-FU. This case is the first involving a patient taking minidose warfarin for prophylaxis of catheter-associated thrombosis. Although the mechanism of the interaction is unclear, it has been postulated that 5-FU interferes with the synthesis of hepatic cytochrome P-450 2C9. Because warfarin and 5-FU are regularly coadministered, this adverse interaction might be occurring more frequently than is realized. Clinicians should be aware of this interaction and should regularly monitor the prothrombin time of patients receiving warfarin and 5-FU.
A technology-assisted scavenger hunt for introducing K-12 students to sensor networks

Sensor networks serve as a powerful recruiting vehicle to excite and engage students in socially-relevant applications of computing. In this paper, we describe a technology-assisted scavenger hunt for introducing young learners --- from grade school through high school--- to sensor networks and computer science. The desired outcome is to expand students' content knowledge and positively impact their impressions of the discipline. We describe the outreach program and present promising evaluation results across three pilots involving 5th graders, 7th graders, and 11th graders.
An incorrect definition of fitness revisited.

Summary I have attempted to show that a certain mistaken definition of fitness, which surfacesoccasionally, may turn out to have some merit. No claim is made that it is an improvement on, or should replace, the conventional definition of fitness; but it is different and has its own validity. Its generality is intriguing, its application is not limited either to selection or one locus models, and it may be easier to measure experimentally. The author wishes to express his thanks to Professors James Crow and Thomas Nagylaki and Mr William Engels for their most helpful comments and criticisms. Engels for their most helpful comments and criticisms. This research was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (grant GM15422 09).
An assessment of the potential use of anionic dextrans as a plasma substitute.

Abstract Several problems exist when dextrans are used as plasma substitutes. High molecular weight dextrans can cause red cell aggregation and increased blood viscosity. Low molecular weight dextrans, although shown to improve circulation and promote flow, are removed rather rapidly from the circulation due to high permeation rates across capillary walls. In the present study, a small anionic charge is introduced onto the dextran to make it electrostatically negative. Since capillary walls have been shown to retain negatively charged solutes in preference to neutral solutes, the anionic dextran should retain its effectiveness for longer periods of time compared to similar sized neutral dextran. Studies were done on eight unanaesthetized dogs to compare the relative disappearance rates of dextran and anionic dextran (carboxymethyl dextran) from the circulation. It was shown that anionic dextrans do remain in the circulation over a longer period of time compared to neutral dextrans.
Forgetting functions of reactivated memories over the first year of life.

A reactivation treatment alleviates forgetting by reexposing organisms to an isolated component of the original event. How long a reactivated memory persists, however, has not been studied systematically. Presently, we documented the retention of a reactivated memory with 6-, 9-, and 12-month-old human infants. All infants learned an operant task, forgot it, and then received a brief reactivation treatment 1 week later. They were tested after increasingly longer delays until the reactivated memory also was forgotten. To provide a picture of retention over the entire first year of life, we combined their data with corresponding data previously obtained from 3- and 6-month-olds in an equivalent task. Although the maximum duration of original retention increases linearly between 3 and 12 months of age, infants consistently forgot the reactivated memory at the same rate as the original one over this period. In essence, a reactivation treatment doubles the life of the memory.
State Mixing and Predissociation in the c ← ã Band System of Singlet Methylene Studied by Optical-Optical Double Resonance

In an attempt to characterize the state interactions near the dissociation energy of singlet methylene, the near ultraviolet band system of singlet methylene has been studied using a laser optical-optical double resonance scheme. Spectra terminating in several, previously unobserved, higher bending levels of the c1A1 state have been detected. The highest energy band has simple rotational structure with lifetime broadened lines and is observed near 32300 cm−1, which is 500 cm−1 above the current best estimate for the singlet bond dissociation energy to CH(2Π) + H(2S). Two lower energy bands exhibit a proliferation of rotationally-labeled double-resonance lines in the vicinity of the bright c(0,12,0) and c(0,13,0) bending levels, indicating that at least 7 and 9 strongly coupled vibronic states participate in each of these bands, respectively. The additional states may be associated with kinks in the adiabatic c state potential along the asymmetric stretching coordinate associated with interactions amon...
Complex magnetic field dependence in large quantum well-coupled Josephson junctions

Abstract We study the dependence of the critical current on applied magnetic field in Josephson junctions with an InAs quantum well as the coupling medium between Nb superconductors. The junctions are mesoscopic in length, L, but not in width, W ≫ L. The critical current exhibits a complex dependence on applied field that does not resemble a Fraunhoffer pattern. We discuss the data in light of previous studies of self-field and non-local effects in planar junctions, effects of structural non-uniformity, and recent studies of flux trapping in Nb films.
Limitations of the Score‐Difference Method in Detecting Cheating in Recognition Test Situations

An examination is made of a score-difference model for the detection of cheating based on the difference between two scores for an examinee: one based on the appropriate scoring key and another based on an alternative, inappropriate key. The normal approximation to the binomial distribution model is used to predict characteristics of chance test score distributions and difference score distributions. Results show that students' difference scores can vary widely by chance alone, even for short tests. It is argued that the score-difference method could falsely accuse many students as cheaters. It is suggested that the score-difference method is seriously flawed and has little to recommend it.
The analysis of parental ratings of children's behavior using LISREL

A common procedure for assessing children's behavior is to obtain parental ratings of the child. Since the ratings obtained are a function of both parent and child, disentangling the child's phenotype from that of the rater becomes an important methodological problem. For the analysis of genetic and environmental contributions to children's behavior, solutions to this are available when multiple raters, e.g., two parents, rate multiple children, e.g., twins. This paper describes and illustrates simple LISREL models for the analysis of parental ratings of children's behavior. We show how the assumption that mothers and fathers are rating the same behavior in children can be contrasted with the weaker alternative that parents are rating correlated behaviors. Given the stronger assumption, which appears adequate for ratings of children's internalizing behavior problems, the contribution of rater bias and unreliability may be separated from the shared and nonshared environmental components of variation in a behavior genetic analysis.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is activated by KLK2 in prostate cancer ex vivo models and in prostate-targeted PSA/KLK2 double transgenic mice.

BACKGROUND Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a serine protease secreted as a zymogen. Previously, cell-free biochemical studies have identified various kallikreins (KLK) as candidate activating proteases. In this study, KLK2-mediated activation of PSA in cell-based in vitro, xenograft, and transgenic models was evaluated. METHODS Du145-derived PSA- or KLK2-expressing clones were coincubated in vitro and in vivo to evaluate KLK2-induced PSA activity. While mice possess orthologs of KLK4-15, they do not have functional orthologs of PSA or KLK2. Therefore, transgenic animals expressing PSA or both PSA and KLK2 were generated to assess orthotopic PSA activation. RESULTS PSA is activated by KLK2 when the cells are physically in contact, and through co-conditioned media. In vivo, the free (inactive PSA) to total (active + inactive PSA) ratio in the blood is decreased when PSA and KLK2-expressing cells are co-inoculated subcutaneously, suggesting increased active PSA. Additionally, double-transgenic mice expressing both genes in the prostate produce more active PSA compared to single transgenic animals. A longitudinal evaluation over a 2-year period demonstrated no morphologic changes (i.e., no PIN or prostate cancer) due to PSA or PSA/KLK2 double transgene expression relative to non-transgenic mice. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate, with biologically relevant models, that KLK2 is the protease responsible for activating PSA. While PSA is involved in the processing and release of a number of important growth factors, our results suggest that active PSA is not sufficient to induce the development of prostate cancer or prostate cancer precursors in aging PSA transgenic mice. Prostate 70: 788–796, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
IN VITRO UTILIZATION OF LACTOSE BY THE FECAL FLORA DIFFERS IN BREAST-(BR) AND BOTTLE-FED (BO) INFANTS

IN VITRO UTILIZATION OF LACTOSE BY THE FECAL FLORA DIFFERS IN BREAST-(BR) AND BOTTLE-FED (BO) INFANTS
Incubation of mouse sperm with lactate delays capacitation and hyperactivation and lowers fertilization levels in vitro

Mouse sperm were incubated in medium with or without 24 mM lactate and assessed for 1) motility characteristics including hyperactivation--a computer-assisted motion analysis system was used; 2) capacitation--a chlortetracycline fluorescent dye binding assay was used; and 3) ability to penetrate oocytes. Lactate affected all aspects of motility and delayed the rates of both hyperactivation and capacitation. When a concentration of 8 x 10(3) sperm/ml was used for insemination in vitro, sperm preincubated 60-90 minutes in medium with lactate prior to insemination in lactate-free medium fertilized fewer oocytes than did sperm preincubated in lactate-free medium. Use of a calcium-sensitive electrode demonstrated that lactate chelated appreciable amounts of calcium in the medium. Capacitation was assayed in sperm incubated 60 minutes in medium with various concentrations of lactate or CaCl2. When medium containing lactate was compared to medium without lactate but having a similar level of free calcium, the level of capacitation of sperm incubated with lactate was less than half that of sperm incubated without lactate. These results demonstrate that including 24 mM lactate in the medium can have detrimental effects on mouse sperm hyperactivation and capacitation. The detrimental effects on capacitation are partly but not completely due to the chelation of calcium by lactate.
Biosocial Influences on the Family: A Decade Review

The past decade brought a remarkable increase in the number and quality of biosocial studies of family processes. The current review summarizes recent advances in biosocial family research by providing key exemplars of emerging research paradigms. Research in the past decade has substantiated the claim in the previous Decade Review (Booth, Carver, & Granger, 2000) that bidirectional influences between all levels of analysis are paramount. There is an emerging consensus that integrating factors at multiple biological and social levels is highly informative. Because ignoring biological factors often will underestimate mediating or moderating mechanisms, the review provides recommendations for biosocial family research. We also highlight the need for researchers who understand complex family environments to lend their expertise to biosocial studies.
Using Self- and Informant Reports in the Assessment of Personality Pathology in Clinical Settings—An Easy and Effective 1–2 Combination

Samuel's (2015) review convincingly demonstrates that the use of unstructured clinical interviews to arrive at diagnoses of personality disorders is problematic at best. For a variety of reasons, clinicians are unlikely to begin using semi-structured interviews to arrive at more reliable and valid diagnoses. Given this, we suggest clinicians more routinely use self- and informant reports of personality pathology. We review evidence suggesting that extant concerns about the ability and willingness of the self and others to provide such reports are overstated. Further, we briefly review evidence supporting the validity and utility of such reports.
Training psychologists to consult with pediatricians: Problems and prospects

Abstract Experiences with training clinical psychologists to consult with pediatricians are reviewed. Disparate training backgrounds and problematic models of collaboration are seen as barriers to learning effective consultation. To meet these potential obstacles, training approaches should stress observation of staff interaction, participation in viable consultation structures and intensive clinical training. With optimal supervision, psychologists at a variety of levels can be trained to consult successfully to pediatricians.
Navigating Treacherous Waters: Soviet Satire, National Identity, and Georgii Daneliia's Films of the 1970s

The 1980 conference of the Soviet film-makers’ union opened in Moscow amid typical fanfare. A packed house attended the keynote speech of F. T. Ermash, director of Goskino USSR, the state bureaucra...
Hub location for time definite transportation

Time definite motor carriers provide very reliable scheduled truck transportation service between specified terminals. They provide service competitive with airfreight carriers over continental-scale distances at a much lower cost. This paper provides time definite models for multiple allocation p-hub median problems and hub arc location problems. Service levels are imposed by limiting the maximum travel distance via the hub network for each origin-destination pair. Computational results are presented to demonstrate the effects of the time definite service levels on practical network design for truck transportation in North America.
Threshold-free method for three-dimensional segmentation of organelles

An ongoing challenge in the field of cell biology is to how to quantify the size and shape of organelles within cells. Automated image analysis methods often utilize thresholding for segmentation, but the calculated surface of objects depends sensitively on the exact threshold value chosen, and this problem is generally worse at the upper and lower zboundaries because of the anisotropy of the point spread function. We present here a threshold-independent method for extracting the three-dimensional surface of vacuoles in budding yeast whose limiting membranes are labeled with a fluorescent fusion protein. These organelles typically exist as a clustered set of 1-10 sphere-like compartments. Vacuole compartments and center points are identified manually within z-stacks taken using a spinning disk confocal microscope. A set of rays is defined originating from each center point and radiating outwards in random directions. Intensity profiles are calculated at coordinates along these rays, and intensity maxima are taken as the points the rays cross the limiting membrane of the vacuole. These points are then fit with a weighted sum of basis functions to define the surface of the vacuole, and then parameters such as volume and surface area are calculated. This method is able to determine the volume and surface area of spherical beads (0.96 to 2 micron diameter) with less than 10% error, and validation using model convolution methods produce similar results. Thus, this method provides an accurate, automated method for measuring the size and morphology of organelles and can be generalized to measure cells and other objects on biologically relevant length-scales.
Gravin dynamics regulates the subcellular distribution of PKA.

Abstract Gravin, a multivalent A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP), localizes to the cell periphery in several cell types and is postulated to target PKA and other binding partners to the plasma membrane. An N-terminal myristoylation sequence and three regions rich in basic amino acids are proposed to mediate this localization. Reports indicating that phorbol ester affects the distribution of SSeCKS, the rat orthologue of gravin, further suggest that PKC may also regulate the subcellular distribution of gravin, which in turn may affect PKA distribution. In this study, quantitative confocal microscopy of cells expressing full-length and mutant gravin–EGFP constructs lacking the proposed targeting domains revealed that either the N-myristoylation site or the polybasic regions were sufficient to target gravin to the cell periphery. Moreover, phorbol ester treatment induced redistribution of gravin–EGFP from the cell periphery to a juxtanuclear vesicular compartment, but this required the presence of the N-myristoylation site. Confocal microscopy further revealed that not only did gravin–EGFP target a PKA RII-ECFP construct to the cell periphery, but PKC activation resulted in redistribution of the gravin and PKA constructs to the same subcellular site. It is postulated that this dynamic response by gravin to PKC activity may mediate PKC dependent control of PKA activity.
A Ligand-Induced Conformational Change in the Estrogen Receptor Is Localized in the Steroid Binding Domain

Upon binding estrogen, the estrogen receptor (ER) is proposed to undergo some form of conformational transition leading to increased transcription from estrogen-responsive genes. In vitro methods used to study the transition often do not separate heat-induced effects on the ER from estrogen-induced effects. The technique of affinity partitioning with PEG-palmitate was used to study the change in the hydrophobic surface properties of the ER upon binding ligand with and without in vitro heating. Upon binding estradiol (E2), the full-length rat uterine cytosolic ER undergoes a dramatic decrease in surface hydrophobicity. The binding of the anti-estrogen 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) results in a similar decrease in surface hydrophobicity. These effects are independent of any conformational changes induced by heating the ER to 30 degrees C for 45 min. The use of the human ER steroid binding domain overproduced in Escherichia coli (ER-C) and the trypsin-generated steroid binding domain from rat uterine cytosolic ER demonstrates that the decrease in surface hydrophobicity upon binding E2 or 4-OHT is localized to the steroid binding domain. Gel filtration analysis indicates that the change in surface hydrophobicity upon binding ligand is an inherent property of the steroid binding domain and not due to a ligand-induced change in the oligomeric state of the receptor. The decrease in surface hydrophobicity of the steroid binding domain of the ER upon binding E2 or 4-OHT represents an early and possibly a necessary event in estrogen action and may be important for "tight" binding of the ER in the nucleus.
Investigating the Determinants of the Street Code and its Relation to Offending among Adults

Theoretical and empirical consideration has long been given to the role of subcultural attitudes and how they relate to delinquency and crime. Recently, Anderson has reconceptualized these early attitudinal depictions by considering the formation and role of these specific attitudes or ‘code of the street’ among African-Americans in inner-city neighborhoods. A number of important findings have emerged from this literature, yet much remains to be considered. We contribute to this literature in three specific ways by examining: (1) the scope of street code attitudes across a wide variety of individuals—and not just inner-city African American (males) to assess the generalizability of these attitudes; (2) the correlates of street code attitudes; and (3) the extent to which street code attitudes mediate the relationship between various demographic and attitudinal (self-control) variables and crime. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are addressed.
Message from the Workshops Chair

Welcome to IPDPS 2010 in Atlanta. This year's workshops program includes 18 workshops with a total of 229 reviewed papers, posters and many invited talks. All of our workshops including several of the new ones from recent years are doing very well. We had one new workshop this year, the International Workshop on Scalable Stream Processing Systems (SSPS), which has been merged with the CAC workshop to make for a stronger program. As always, we are looking for new workshop proposals for the next IPDPS in Alaska.
Genetic mapping of hypervariable minisatellite sequences in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Minisatellites, or DNA fingerprinting sequences, have been utilized in animal linkage studies for several years but have not been used as markers for plant genome mapping. In animal genome mapping they have resulted in limited success because they are evenly dispersed in some species but are often clustered near telomeric regions, as observed on human chromosomes. The purpose of the present study was to generate DNA fingerprints utilizing several rice-derived minisatellites containing different core sequences and numbers of repeat units, followed by assessing their potential for use as genetic markers when mapped to a rice recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Sites of segregating minisatellite loci were mapped onto 11 of the 12 rice RIL linkage maps. The implications for the use of rice minisatellite core sequences as genetic markers on linkage maps in rice are discussed.
Role of the RNA polymerase alpha subunits in MetR-dependent activation of metE and metH: important residues in the C-terminal domain and orientation requirements within RNA polymerase.

Many transcription factors activate by directly interacting with RNA polymerase (RNAP). The C terminus of the RNAP α subunit (αCTD) is a common target of activators. We used both random mutagenesis and alanine scanning to identify αCTD residues that are crucial for MetR-dependent activation of metE and metH. We found that these residues localize to two distinct faces of the αCTD. The first is a complex surface consisting of residues important for α-DNA interactions, activation of both genes (residues 263, 293, and 320), and activation of either metE only (residues 260, 276, 302, 306, 309, and 322) or metH only (residues 258, 264, 290, 294, and 295). The second is a distinct cluster of residues important for metE activation only (residues 285, 289, 313, and 314). We propose that a difference in the location of the MetR binding site for activation at these two promoters accounts for the differences in the residues of α required for MetR-dependent activation. We have designed an in vitro reconstitution-purification protocol that allows us to specifically orient wild-type or mutant α subunits to either the β-associated or the β′-associated position within RNAP (comprising α2, β, β′, and ς subunits). In vitro transcriptions using oriented α RNAP indicate that a single αCTD on either the β- or the β′-associated α subunit is sufficient for MetR activation of metE, while MetR interacts preferentially with the αCTD on the β-associated α subunit at metH. We propose that the different αCTD requirements at these two promoters are due to a combination of the difference in the location of the activation site and limits on the rotational flexibility of the αCTD.
A Comparison of Bayesian and Belief Function Reasoning

The goal of this paper is to compare the similarities and differences between Bayesian and belief function reasoning. Our main conclusion is that although there are obvious differences in semantics, representations, and the rules for combining and marginalizing representations, there are many similarities. We claim that the two calculi have roughly the same expressive power. Each calculus has its own semantics that allow us to construct models suited for these semantics. Once we have a model in either calculus, one can transform it to the other by means of a suitable transformation.
Recetarios: sus autores y lectores en el Perú colonial

Este ensayo trata acerca de los recetarios, textos medicos que circularon en el Peru colonial y que brindan informacion sobre lo que la poblacion pensaba respecto de la medicina, la curacion y el cuerpo durante el siglo XVIII e inicios del XIX. Los recetarios eran manuales que incluian detalladas instrucciones para la preparacion de tratamientos medicos caseros, y fueron compuestos para ser de facil consulta a aquellos que carecian de un conocimiento formal de la medicina. A partir de diversos textos atribuidos al cirujano Martin Delgar y un trabajo de autor anonimo titulado «El medico verdadero», la primera parte de este ensayo identifica las fuentes andinas y espanolas que fueron usadas para la composicion de dichas obras. Asimismo, pone de manifiesto los vinculos entre estos textos medicos de uso popular y los escritos tempranos de Bernabe Cobo y Benito Jeronimo Feijoo. Finalmente, el ensayo examina de que manera el contenido de estos recetarios se relaciono con las practicas populares y como la gente pudo haber empleado los trabajos de Delgar y «El medico verdadero», u otros, para tratar sus enfermedades
A within-subject ERP and fMRI investigation of orientation-specific recognition memory for pictures.

Despite a large body of research on recognition memory, its temporal substrate, measured with ERPs, and spatial substrate, measured with fMRI, have never been investigated in the same subjects. In the present study, we obtained this information in parallel sessions, in which subjects studied and recognized images of visual objects and their orientation. The results showed that ERP-familiarity processes between 240 and 440 ms temporally preceded recollection processes and were structurally associated with prefrontal brain regions. Recollection processes were most prominent from 440 to 600 ms and correlated with activation in temporal, parietal, and occipital brain regions. Post-retrieval monitoring, which occurred in the ERP between 600 and 1000 ms as a long-lasting slow wave over frontal channel groups, showed correlations with activation in the prefrontal and parietal cortex. These ERP/fMRI relationships showed some correspondences to source localizations of the investigated ERP memory effects.
Migrating to Web services - latency and scalability

A common way of deploying Web services is to create proxies that expose the legacy application as a Web service. But when it comes to performance, Web services are facing the same barrage of distrust as any new middleware. Are the critics of Web services right? In this paper we will look at several performance pitfalls that Web services are facing today and at the performance penalties that have to be paid when exposing a legacy application as a Web service. We show results about the latency and scalability of Apache's implementation of SOAP, compare it with the performance of established middleware such as RMI, and look at end-to-end performance of Web services built on top of existing EJB applications.
A MIMO Decoder Accelerator for Next Generation Wireless Communications

In this paper, we present a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) decoder accelerator architecture that offers versatility and reprogrammability while maintaining a very high performance-cost metric. The accelerator is meant to address the MIMO decoding bottlenecks associated with the convergence of multiple high-speed wireless standards onto a single device. It is scalable in the number of antennas, bandwidth, modulation format, and most importantly, present and emerging decoder algorithms. It features a Harvard-like architecture with complex vector operands and a deeply pipelined fixed-point complex arithmetic processing unit. When implemented on a Xilinx Virtex-4 LX200FF1513 field-programmable gate array (FPGA), the design occupied 43% of overall FPGA resources. The accelerator shows an advantage of up to three orders of magnitude (1000 times) in power-delay product for typical MIMO decoding operations relative to a general purpose DSP. When compared to dedicated application-specific IC (ASIC) implementations of mmse MIMO decoders, the accelerator showed a degradation of 340%-17%, depending on the actual ASIC being considered. In order to optimize the design for both speed and area, specific challenges had to be overcome. These include: definition of the processing units and their interconnection; proper dynamic scaling of the signal; and memory partitioning and parallelism.
An Analysis of the Research Areas of the Articles Published in C&RL and JAL between 1990 and 1999

A total of 682 refereed articles from College & Research Libraries ( C&RL ) and Journal of Academic Librarianship ( JAL ) (376 and 306 articles, respectively) between 1990 and 1999 were analyzed with respect to the Research Agenda developed by the ACRL College Libraries Section (ACRL-CLS). The analysis finds that articles on collections, services, staffing, and the Internet have taken up the major portion of the peer-reviewed sections of C&RL and JAL . It also reveals that a wide variety of researchable questions remain to be studied and reported. This presents a challenge and an opportunity for academic librarians who wish to engage in research.
Locus of control and obesity.

In the developed world, the hazards associated with obesity have largely outstripped the risk of starvation. Obesity remains a difficult public health issue to address, due in large part to the many disciplines involved. A full understanding requires knowledge in the fields of genetics, endocrinology, psychology, sociology, economics, and public policy – among others. In this short review, which serves as an introduction to the Frontiers in Endocrinology research topic, we address one cross-disciplinary relationship: the interaction between the hunger/satiation neural circuitry, an individual’s perceived locus of control, and the risk for obesity. Mammals have evolved a complex system for modulating energy intake. Overlaid on this, in humans, there exists a wide variation in “perceived locus of control” – that is, the extent to which an individual believes to be in charge of the events that affect them. Whether one has primarily an internal or external locus of control itself affects, and is affected by, external and physiological factors and has been correlated with the risk for obesity. Thus, the path from hunger and satiation to an individual’s actual behavior may often be moderated by psychological factors, included among which is locus of control.
Cellular Maintenance and Repair of the Kidney

The mammalian kidney is a highly complex organ that requires the precise structural arrangement of multiple cell types for effective function. The need to filter large volumes of plasma at the glomerulus followed by active reabsorption of nearly 99% of that filtrate by the tubules creates vulnerability in both compartments for cell injury. Thus maintenance of cell viability and replacement of those cells that are lost are essential for functional stability of the kidney. This review addresses our current understanding of how cells from the glomerular, tubular, and interstitial compartments arise during development and the manner in which they may be regenerated in the adult organ. In addition, we discuss the data regarding the role of organ-specific and bone marrow-derived stem and progenitor cells in the replacement/repair process, as well as the potential for ex vivo programming of stem cells toward a renal lineage.
Design considerations for high-frequency coaxial winding power transformers

The use of coaxial windings to create low-loss, low-leakage-reactance, power transformers for use in high-frequency soft-switched DC/DC and resonant converters has been demonstrated by M.H. Kheraluwalest al. (1990). Some of the important loss aspects of the design of coaxial winding transformers are examined, including the influence of the skin effect on winding resistance, the variation of core loss caused by nonuniform core flux density, and the choice of the principle dimensions and aspect ratios for maximum efficiency. Experimental measurements on a 50 kVA, 50 kHz unit are included to confirm portions of the analytical results and suggested design procedures. >
Resolving the lateral component of blood flow velocity based on ultrasound speckle size change with scan direction and speed

Conventional blood flow velocity measurement using ultrasound is capable of resolving the axial component (i.e., that aligned with the ultrasound propagation direction) of the blood flow velocity vector. However, these Doppler-based methods are incapable of detecting blood flow in the direction normal to the ultrasound beam. In addition, these methods require repeated pulse-echo interrogation at the same spatial location. In this paper, we introduce a method which estimates the lateral component of blood flow within a single image frame using the observation that the speckle pattern corresponding to the blood reflectors (typically red blood cells) stretches (i.e., is “smeared”) if the blood is moving in the same direction as the electronically-controlled transducer line selection in a 2D image. The situation is analogous to the observed elongation of a subject photographed with a moving camera. Here, we develop a relationship between speckle size, scan speed, and blood flow velocity. Experiments were performed with a blood flow phantom and high-frequency transducer of a commercially available ultrasound machine. Data was captured through an interface allowing access to the raw beam formed data. Blood flow with velocities ranging from 15 to 40 cm/s were investigated in this paper. Results show that there is a linear relationship between the reciprocal of the stretch factor and blood flow velocity. Two scan speeds were used in our experiments. When the scan velocity is 64.8 cm/s, compared with the theoretical model, fitting results based on experimental data gave us a linear relationship with average flow estimation error of 1.74±1.48 cm/s. When the scan velocity is 37.4 cm/s, the average estimation error is 0.65±0.45 cm/s.
Comparison of Petri Net and Finite State Machine discrete event control of distributed surveillance networks

Wireless sensor networks are an important military technology with civil and scientific applications. In this article, we derive a discrete event controller system for distributed surveillance networks that consists of three interacting hierarchies—sensing, communications, and command. Petri Net representations of the hierarchies provide plant models of resource contention and internal consistency. Control specifications are derived that enforce consistency across the hierarchies. Three controllers are created using different methodologies to satisfy these specifications. The methods used are Petri Net, finite state automata using the Ramadge and Wonham approach, and vector addition control using the Wonham and Li approach. We use the controllers derived to contrast the design methodologies. Our results find these three approaches to be roughly equivalent. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.
Earthquake swarms in South America

SUMMARY We searched for earthquake swarms in South America between 1973 and 2009 using the global Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE) catalogue. Seismicity rates vary greatly over the South American continent, so we employ a manual search approach that aims to be insensitive to spatial and temporal scales or to the number of earthquakes in a potential swarm. We identify 29 possible swarms involving 5–180 earthquakes each (with total swarm moment magnitudes between 4.7 and 6.9) within a range of tectonic and volcanic locations. Some of the earthquake swarms on the subduction megathrust occur as foreshocks and delineate the limits of main shock rupture propagation for large earthquakes, including the 2010 Mw 8.8 Maule, Chile and 2007 Mw 8.1 Pisco, Peru earthquakes. Also, subduction megathrust swarms commonly occur at the location of subduction of aseismic ridges, including areas of long-standing seismic gaps in Peru and Ecuador. The magnitude–frequency relationship of swarms we observe appears to agree with previously determined magnitude–frequency scaling for swarms in Japan. We examine geodetic data covering five of the swarms to search for an aseismic component. Only two of these swarms (at Copiapo, Chile, in 2006 and near Ticsani Volcano, Peru, in 2005) have suitable satellite-based Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) observations. We invert the InSAR geodetic signal and find that the ground deformation associated with these swarms does not require a significant component of aseismic fault slip or magmatic intrusion. Three swarms in the vicinity of the volcanic arc in southern Peru appear to be triggered by the Mw= 8.5 2001 Peru earthquake, but predicted static Coulomb stress changes due to the main shock were very small at the swarm locations, suggesting that dynamic triggering processes may have had a role in their occurrence. Although we identified few swarms in volcanic regions, we suggest that particularly large volcanic swarms (those that could be detected using the PDE catalogue) occur in areas of infrequent eruption and may be related to large regional fault zones.
Inhibition of oxytocin-induced uterine contractions by an ox tocin antagonist in the pregnant baboon

Uterine contractions were induced with oxytocin in anesthetized pregnant baboons (Papio anubis) at three stages of pregnancy (days 140, 156, and 169; normal gestation length, 184 days). After the contractile activity was greater than two to three contractions every 10 minutes, R-mercapto-R, R-cyclopentamethyl enepropionic acid =[o-Trp2,Phe3,Ile4,Arg8j_oxytocin, a novel oxytocin antagonist produced in our laboratories, was given simultaneously with the oxytocin for 90 minutes. Contractile force (frequency x mean amplitude) was determined for 30 minutes before and for three 30-minute intervals after the oxytocin antagonist was administered. Animals at 140 days' gestation showed a significant (p
Loving-kindness meditation: a tool to improve healthcare provider compassion, resilience, and patient care

Stress is a critical problem facing many healthcare institutions. The consequences of stress include increased provider burnout and decreased quality of care for patients. Ironically, a key factor that may help buffer the impact of stress on provider well-being and patient health outcomes—compassion—is low in healthcare settings and declines under stress. This gives rise to an urgent question: what practical steps can be taken to increase compassion, thereby benefitting both provider well-being and patient care? We investigated the relative effectiveness of a short, 10-minute session of loving-kindness meditation (LKM) to increase compassion and positive affect. We compared LKM to a non-compassion positive affect induction (PAI) and a neutral visualization (NEU) condition. Self- and other-focused affect, self-reported measures of social connection, and semi-implicit measures of self-focus were measured pre- and post- meditation using repeated measures ANOVAs and via paired sample t-tests for follow-up comparisons. Findings show that LKM improves well-being and feelings of connection over and above other positive-affect inductions, at both explicit and implicit levels, while decreasing self-focus in under 10 minutes and in novice meditators. These findings suggest that LKM may be a viable, practical, and time-effective solution for preventing burnout and promoting resilience in healthcare providers and for improving quality of care in patients.
Stimulation of β3-adrenoceptors relaxes rat urinary bladder smooth muscle via activation of the large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels

We investigated the role of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels in β3-adrenoceptor (β3-AR)-induced relaxation in rat urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM). BRL 37344, a specific β3-AR ...
Is Usual Share of Commuting Mode Always Greater Than Its Actual Share

With data from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), recent research showed that transit's usual share was greater than its actual share for workers in the United States in a variety of commuter markets. A mode's usual share is the percentage of workers who state that they usually use that mode for commuting in a week, whereas the actual share of a mode is the percentage of work trips by that mode by the same workers on a typical work day. This study explores whether this relative relationship between a mode's usual and actual shares holds true for common modes other than transit for the United States. Mathematically, it is determined that this relative relationship cannot hold true for all modes; in other words, the usual share has to be smaller than the actual share for one or more modes other than transit. Empirically, the same 2001 NHTS is used to test this relative relationship for three common modes—the privately owned vehicle (POV), walking, and biking—and for a variety of commuter mark...
Rapid analyses of Germanium spectra

Abstract A computer program for the rapid analysis of gamma-ray spectra obtained from Ge(Li) detectors is presented. The code utilizes a simple summation of the spectrum above a straight line background between carefully chosen boundary channels for the calculation of peak area and a least-squares parabolic fit to those channels whose contents are greater than half maximum for the determination of peak location. Both of these methods are used in manner which makes allowances for closely spaced peaks. The code is configured such that computer time, memory and input requirements are minimal. Various tests on the precision of the method are also presented.
Cytochemical Maturation of the Notochord in Dysraphic Mice

Functional aspects of notochordal maturation in dysraphic loop-tail (Lp) mice were analyzed by means of ultrastructural cytochemistry on embryos at 9–12 days of gestation. Notochordal cells in normal (+/+; Lp/+) and dysraphic abnormal (Lp/Lp) embryos showed ultrastructural features consistent with secretory activity, particularly at 10 and 11 days. With specific cytochemical staining, glycogen was observed as thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate particles sparsely scattered throughout notochordal cells of normal and abnormal embryos at 9 and 10 days, with aggregates common at 11 and 12 days. With tannic acid and ruthenium red treatment, the perinotochordal space in abnormals showed differences in the density of stained filaments from that in normal embryos, suggesting a defect in glycosaminoglycan deposition. In abnormal embryos, the notochord became located relatively more distant from the open neural folds than from the closed neural tube in normal littermates, and the arrangement of the adjacent mesenchymal cells was irregular and less dense than that in the normal embryos. Thus, although the ultrastructure of the notochordal cells was relatively normal, the features indicative of aberrant interactions among the notochord, neural folds, and adjacent mesenchymal cells may be of significance in the etiology of dysraphism in this mutant.
Maternal-fetal surgery for structural malformations

Although most prenatally diagnosed correctable anatomic abnormalities are best addressed by surgical interventions after birth, the outcomes of a small number of severe structural malformations with predicted fetal demise or devastating sequelae postnatally may be improved by correction before birth. Consideration of maternal–fetal surgical intervention is restricted to those anatomic malformations that interfere with normal organ development and which, if alleviated, may permit normal development to proceed. Advances in prenatal diagnosis and technical innovations in the surgical approach to the fetus have resulted in an increase in the successful clinical application of fetal intervention over the past 3 decades. The purpose of this review is to describe the current status of maternal–fetal surgery, with a focus on the congenital anomalies most commonly treated by intervention before birth, and to highlight the key areas for further research in this evolving surgical specialty.
Synthetic graft placement in the treatment of fascial dehiscence with necrosis and infection

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the use of synthetic grafts in repairing fascial dehiscence complicated by fascial necrosis and infection after obstetric and gynecologic operations. Study Design: A retrospective review of the operating room records at Hutzel Hospital (Detroit, Mich) was performed to find all cases of fascial dehiscence repaired during a 6-year period between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 1996. Patients with partial or complete disruption of the fascia with evidence of fascial necrosis and infection were included in this study. Demographic information; the initial surgical procedure, including type of incision; suture material; use of synthetic graft and closure technique for repair of dehiscence; postoperative complications, microbiologic results; antibiotic therapy; subsequent operations; length of hospital stay; and late complications were recorded. Results: During the study period 52 patients underwent repair of fascial dehiscence; 36 of these had concurrent fascial necrosis and infection, including 4 women with necrotizing fasciitis. Eighteen patients were from the obstetric service and 18 were from the benign or cancer gynecology service. Ninety-one bacterial isolates were recovered from the infected wounds. Extensive fascial resection precluded closure without tension in 18 cases and necessitated synthetic graft placement to prevent evisceration. Graft materials included polypropylene (11 cases) and polyglactin (7 cases). Late complications of graft placement included extrusion of the graft in 3 patients and incisional hernia in 1. Conclusions: Extensive fascial debridement with resection prevents primary closure of wound dehiscence. Synthetic grafts permit primary closure of large fascial defects and can be used with extensive debridement in the presence of infection. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;179:1430-5.)
Characteristics of participants in a cancer prevention intervention designed for multiethnic workers in small manufacturing worksites.

Abstract Purpose. To examine worker characteristics explicated in our social-contextual intervention model that might be associated with participation in a cancer prevention intervention. These characteristics included sociodemographic variables, mediating mechanisms, and modifying conditions. Methods. Randomized, controlled study in 24 small multiethnic manufacturing worksites. Analyses were conducted on an embedded cohort of 456 employees in the intervention condition, incorporating the clustering of respondents in worksites using generalized linear mixed modeling methods. The intervention was based on an inclusive, comprehensive social-contextual model targeting fruit, vegetable, and red meat consumption, multivitamin use, and physical activity. Results. Gender (p = .02) and self-efficacy (p < .01) were associated with participation. There were no differences in participation by race/ethnicity or occupational status. We observed no associations between participation of individual workers in interventio...