cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nodular Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: Clinical, Roentgenographic, and Physiologic Course in Five Patients

Five cases of nodular pulmonary sarcoidosis are presented. That nodular infiltration represents a reversible stage of sarcoidosis is suggested by the fact that all patients demonstrated roentgenographic resolution of these infiltrates. In four of the five subjects, tests of pulmonary function showed restrictive disease which remained unchanged or worsened despite radiologic clearing, suggesting persistence of active disease or development of residual pulmonary fibrosis. Evidence of obstruction of airways that was unexplained by a history of smoking was present in all of the five subjects.
The effects of triadimefon on growth, sclerotial formation, and ultrastructure of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Abstract The presence of 62.5–125 μM of triadimefon [1-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3,3-dimethyl-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-2-butanone] in glucose-nitrate liquid medium resulted in reduced mycelial growth and inhibition of sclerotial formation of S. sclerotiorum . Hyphae grown in the presence of triadimefon contained more mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) than did untreated hyphae. The additional ER occurred both as randomly oriented material and as membrane complexes or stacks. Membrane-bound vesicles accumulated between the plasma membrane and the cell wall. Triadimefon alone and in conjunction with other inhibitors may be useful in elucidating the process of sclerotial formation in S. sclerotiorum .
Resolution of Anuric Acute Kidney Injury After Left Renal Angioplasty and Stenting for a Totally Occlusive In-Stent Restenosis of a Solitary Kidney

The authors report a case of unilateral renal artery in-stent occlusion leading to anuric acute kidney injury in a patient with solitary functional kidney. To their knowledge, this is the first reported case of anuric acute kidney injury, which was successfully treated with percutaneous stenting leading to return of renal function to baseline and a prompt resolution of anuria. This case demonstrates that percutaneous revascularization is a safe and feasible treatment option for in-stent occlusion of renal artery supplying a solitary functional kidney and underscores the importance of early recognition and treatment.
Influence of prosthetic design on radiocapitellar concavity-compression stability.

Background Radial head prostheses are available with multiple geometric properties. The effect of design features on radiocapitellar stability has not been investigated. Hypothesis The shape (depth and radius of curvature) of the articulating dish of a radial head prosthesis affects radiocapitellar stability. Materials and methods Radiocapitellar stability due to concavity-compression was evaluated in 8 fresh frozen elbows before and after radial head replacement with 2 different designs of radial head implants (RH 1 and RH 2). Both functioned as monopolar implants. Peak forces resisting subluxation and force-displacement characteristics were compared between the 2 and to the native radial head. Results Radial head design significantly affected radiocapitellar stability. RH 1, which had a deeper dish than RH 2, required significantly higher peak forces to subluxate the radiocapitellar joint. The peak subluxation forces and the slopes of the force-displacement curves were not significantly different from the native radial head for RH 1, but they were for RH 2. Conclusion The shape of the articular dish (depth, radius of curvature) of a monopolar radial head implant affects its contribution to radiocapitellar stability. An implant that mimics normal anatomy is more effective than a shallow radial head implant with a radius of curvature that is longer than normal.
Manganese oxide nanoparticle-loaded porous carbon nanofibers as anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Mn-based oxide-loaded porous carbon nanofiber anodes, exhibiting large reversible capacity, excellent capacity retention, and good rate capability, are fabricated by carbonizing electrospun polymer/Mn(CH3COO)2 composite nanofibers without adding any polymer binder or electronic conductor. The excellent electrochemical performance of these organic/inorganic nanocomposites is a result of the unique combinative effects of nano-sized Mn-based oxides and carbon matrices as well as the highly-developed porous composite nanofiber structure, which make them promising anode candidates for high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Neogenin-mediated Hemojuvelin Shedding Occurs after Hemojuvelin Traffics to the Plasma Membrane

HFE2 (hemochromatosis type 2 gene) is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and liver hepatocytes. Its encoded protein, hemojuvelin (HJV), is a co-receptor for the bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 4 (BMP2 and BMP4) and enhances the BMP-induced hepcidin expression. Hepcidin is a central iron regulatory hormone predominantly secreted from hepatocytes. HJV also binds neogenin, a membrane protein widely expressed in many tissues. Neogenin is required for the processing and release of HJV from cells. The role that neogenin plays in HJV trafficking was investigated, using HepG2 cells, a human hepatoma cell line. Knockdown of endogenous neogenin markedly suppresses HJV release but has no evident effect on HJV trafficking to the plasma membrane. The addition of a soluble neogenin ectodomain to cells markedly inhibits HJV release, indicating that the HJV shedding is not processed before trafficking to the cell surface. At the plasma membrane it undergoes endocytosis in a dynamin-independent but cholesterol-dependent manner. The additional findings that HJV release is coupled to lysosomal degradation of neogenin and that cholesterol depletion by filipin blocks both HJV endocytosis and HJV release suggest that neogenin-mediated HJV release occurs after the HJV-neogenin complex is internalized from the cell surface.
Executive, Emotional, and Language Functioning Following Childhood Maltreatment and the Influence of Pediatric PTSD

There is limited research examining the neuropsychological functioning of pediatric PTSD as a result of maltreatment, especially within the adolescent population. The present study used retrospective chart review of adolescent inpatients and examined the executive functioning, language, and psychological presentation of maltreated adolescent psychiatric inpatients with pediatric PTSD. Adolescent inpatients were grouped into maltreated adolescents with PTSD as a result of maltreatment (n = 17), maltreated adolescents without PTSD (n = 18), and nonmaltreated adolescents without PTSD (n = 18). Group differences were identified across assessed domains. Lower overall executive functioning was identified in maltreated adolescents regardless of PTSD diagnosis. When compared to those maltreated adolescents without PTSD, the PTSD group displayed lower expressive language and problem solving/planning skills, as well increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. These findings suggest that pediatric PTSD because of maltreatment is associated with psychological and neurocognitive impairments, highlighting the importance of neuropsychological assessment in the treatment of childhood maltreatment.
New look at magnetism in single-crystal Gd-Y alloys

Magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and specific-heat measurements have been made on a number of polycrystalline and single-crystal samples of Gd-rich Gd-Y alloys. It has been found (i) that samples with more than 30 at. % Y exhibit a helical structure phase; (ii) that samples between 10 and 30 at. % Y exhibit two different Curie-Weiss regimes leading to ''double'' ferromagnetism; and (iii) that samples with less than 10 at. % Y have Gd-like behavior.
Comment on ``Confirmation of the Sigma Meson''

A Comment on the Letter by Nils A. Tornqvist and Matts Roos, Phys.Rev.Lett.{bold 76}, 1575 (1996). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Concanavalin A-reactive protein of rabbit thymocyte plasma membranes: Analysis by crossed immune electrophoresis and sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Abstract 1. 1. Thymocyte plasma membrane extracts, prepared with the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100, show 10 major protein components upon sodium dodecylsulfate/ polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and at least 11 immunologic components upon crossed immune electrophoresis. 2. 2. Concanavalin A reactive membrane proteins have been identified using crossed immune electrophoresis with receptor-ligand interaction. 3. 3. These proteins are adsorbed from Triton X-100-solubilized membranes onto immobilized concanavalin A. They are eluted in stepwise fashion, using increasing concentrations of α-methyl- d -glucoside, between 0.0004 M and 0.1 M. The predominant proteins eluted in each step are components with high electrophoretic mobility in crossed immune electrophoresis and are identical with a glycosylated component in sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a molecular weight of 55 000. 4. 4. This component forms multimers in the presence of Triton X-100 which are not totally dissociated in sodium dodecylsulfate. 5. 5. Neuramidase treatment followed by crossed immune electrophoresis of total plasma membrane isolates, as well as the purified glycoprotein fraction, indicates that the concanavalin A-reactive proteins are sialoglycoproteins. 6. 6. Sodium dodecylsulfate component 5.1 comprises at least two different populations of glycoproteins (6 and 9) in crossed immune electrophoresis, one of which exclusively exhibits heterogeneous carbohydrate antigenic sites (component 9). 7. 7. Present data, taken together with previously published experiments, indicate that concanavalin A binding to intact thymocytes induces an increased turnover and release of the receptor protein(s).
Single-ventricle physiology.

The term ‘‘single ventricle’’ applies to several congenital cardiac anomalies and their subsequent postoperative anatomy. Single-ventricle physiology presents a challenge to the intensive care physician because patients with these lesions often respond to common interventions such as supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressors differently than patients with conventional circulations. Furthermore, single-ventricle patients are commonly encountered in pediatric critical care medicine because they undergo multiple cardiac operations, may be more adversely affected by intercurrent illnesses, or have chronic cardiac problems that may require intensive care. A thorough understanding of the complexities of single-ventricle physiology isthereforeimperative forthe pediatric intensivist. This article addresses the important physiologic issues that arise in the care of patients with single-ventricle anatomy. Because there are important alterations in anatomy and physiology that are unique to each of the reconstructive stages of single-ventricle palliation, the physiology of the newborn (pre- and postoperative),bidirectional cavopulmonaryanastamosis(bidirectionalGlennorhemiFontan), and total cavopulmonary anastamosis (Fontan) circulations are discussed.
Analysis of Materials Performance Efficiency

The Performance Efficiency of a Material (MPE) in a given engineering component is taken as the sum total of the performance indices of the material for various required properties and mandates of design. The performance index for a property is defined as the product of the weight (W) of the property among all the requirements (weight being distributed out of 100 total points among all of the required properties and factors) and satisfaction index (SI), a parameter ≤1.0 that defines how efficiently the property of the material satisfies the requirement imposed by design. New methods are given in this paper for estimating the weights and SIs of the various required properties and evaluating the MPE for a chosen material in an engineering application. The method is illustrated considering the steel in use in a low-pressure steam turbine rotor and its possible replacement with a lighter-titanium alloy.
An Efficient Method of Estimating Seemingly Unrelated Regressions and Tests for Aggregation Bias

Abstract In this paper a method of estimating the parameters of a set of regression equations is reported which involves application of Aitken's generalized least-squares [1] to the whole system of equations. Under conditions generally encountered in practice, it is found that the regression coefficient estimators so obtained are at least asymptotically more efficient than those obtained by an equation-by-equation application of least squares. This gain in efficiency can be quite large if “independent” variables in different equations are not highly correlated and if disturbance terms in different equations are highly correlated. Further, tests of the hypothesis that all regression equation coefficient vectors are equal, based on “micro” and “macro” data, are described. If this hypothesis is accepted, there will be no aggregation bias. Finally, the estimation procedure and the “micro-test” for aggregation bias are applied in the analysis of annual investment data, 1935–1954, for two firms.
On fluid-mechanical simulations of cell division and movement☆

Abstract Demonstrations are presented of the possible effects of variable surface tension and dynamical instability in cell cleavage and the formation of a contractile belt. Analysis of a theoretical absorption/desorption model of chemotaxis suggested by these experiments shows that occasional, unidirectional amoeboid movement can occur in an oscillatory field of chemical attractant.
Local Error Estimates for SUPG Solutions of Advection-Dominated Elliptic Linear-Quadratic Optimal Control Problems

We derive local error estimates for the discretization of optimal control problems governed by linear advection-diffusion partial differential equations (PDEs) using the streamline upwind/Petrov Galerkin (SUPG) stabilized finite element method. We show that if the SUPG method is used to solve optimization problems governed by an advection-dominated PDE, the convergence properties of the SUPG method is substantially different from the convergence properties of the SUPG method applied for the solution of an advection-dominated PDE. The reason is that the solution of the optimal control problem involves another advection-dominated PDE, the so-called adjoint equation, whose advection field is just the negative of the advection of the governing PDEs. For the solution of the optimal control problem, a coupled system involving both the original governing PDE as well as the adjoint PDE must be solved. We show that in the presence of a boundary layer, the local error between the solution of the SUPG discretized optimal control problem and the solution of the infinite dimensional problem is only of first order even if the error is computed locally in a region away from the boundary layer. In the presence of interior layers, we prove optimal convergence rates for the local error in a region away from the layer between the solution of the SUPG discretized optimal control problems and the solution of the infinite dimensional problem. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate some of the theoretical results.
Biological Analysis and Dosimetry for 15O-Labeled O2, CO2, and CO Gases Administered Continuously by Inhalation

Estimates of radiation absorbed dose have been determined for the steady-state distribution of oxygen-15 (T1/2 = 122 sec) from inhalation of molecular oxygen, 15O2; carbon dioxide, C15O2; and carbon monoxide, C15O. Biodistribution data for 15O-labeled water, produced by the metabolism of oxygen and from CO2 by pulmonary carbonic anhydrase, were used. Lung gas and intravascular activities are also included. The total oxygen utilized was taken to be 14.4 l/hr. Seventeen tissues were included as source organs. The radiation dose is directly proportional to the duration of inhalation. Air containing a constant level of 15O is provided in excess of need to the patient, who breathes under his own control. The lung, which is known to be a particularly radiosensitive tissue, appears to be the dose-limiting or critical tissue. The radiation dose estimates for lung, based upon 1 hr of breathing air with an activity concentration of 1 mCi/l, are 3.6, 1.2, and 2.8 rads, respectively, for 15O2, C15O2, and C15O.
Electrodeposition of uranium dioxide films

Uranium dioxide films in a hydrated form are electrodeposited unto nickel plates starting with a uranyl nitrate solution in ammonium sulfate. The process is incidental to water splitting which is the dominant electrochemical pathway and as a consequence, the uranium deposition is highly dependent on experimental parameters that require close control such as the pH and concentration of the supporting electrolyte as well as current density, and the cell design.
Current status of ablative therapies for renal tumors.

The increase in detection of small (≤ 4 cm) renal cortical neoplasms has made nephron-sparing surgery the new standard of care for T1a renal lesions. Advances in minimally invasive surgery have improved the surgical approach to these lesions to include laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and renal ablative therapies. In this review, we discuss the indications, outcomes, and potential complications of the commonly used ablative modalities in urologic practice. We will expand on renal cryoablation and review the mechanism of action, surgical approaches, and evidence based medicine using this modality.
Chemically modified peat as an economical means of water treatment

Abstract The data presented in this study indicate the feasibility of utilizing modified forms of peat as a cation exchanger, anion exchanger, and oil coalescer. The‐modification processes require relatively inexpensive chemicals in small amounts and only simple procedures are involved. This factor in conjunction with the availability of peat makes these modified systems well suited for large scale applications.
Construction and manipulation of dynamic icons

A dynamic icon is an icon whose graphical representation is computed and varies over time with changes in the properties of the object it represents. Dynamics icons make possible use of iconic representation of objects whose dynamic behavior must be reflected in their representation. The visual language PT incorporates dynamic icons to model dynamic object behavior in executing programs. This use of dynamic icons provides a natural program animation mechanism. Dynamic icons and their use in PT are discussed. >
Cruz: Application-Transparent Distributed Checkpoint-Restart on Standard Operating Systems

We present a new distributed checkpoint-restart mechanism, Cruz, that works without requiring application, library, or base kernel modifications. This mechanism provides comprehensive support for checkpointing and restoring application state, both at user level and within the OS. Our implementation builds on Zap, a process migration mechanism, implemented as a Linux kernel module, which operates by interposing a thin layer between applications and the OS. In particular, we enable support for networked applications by adding migratable IP and MAC addresses, and checkpoint-restart of socket buffer state, socket options, and TCP state. We leverage this capability to devise a novel method for coordinated checkpoint-restart that is simpler than prior approaches. For instance, it eliminates the need to flush communication channels by exploiting the packet re-transmission behavior of TCP and existing OS support for packet filtering. Our experiments show that the overhead of coordinating checkpoint-restart is negligible, demonstrating the scalability of this approach.
Morphological analyses of frogs of the Leptodactylus latrans complex (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae) from selected localities in South America

Abstract Two species of the Leptodactylus latrans complex in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay (currently considered as Leptodactylus chaquensis and Leptodactylus latrans) are readily identifiable based on external morphological features. In contrast, analyses of external morphological features have not been successful in determining species limits of the complex in Brasil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The purpose of this study is to assess whether variation in a set of external morphological features is of value in determining species limits for a set of localities distributed throughout the range of the L. latrans complex. The morphological data as analyzed in this study provide some suggestions for delineating species limits, but overall, the data as analyzed are not sufficient to determine robust species limits within the L. latrans species complex.
Legal Welfare Fraud Among Middle-Class Families Manipulating the Medicaid Program for Long-Term Care

The Medicaid program was enacted in 1965 for the purpose of providing federal cost sharing in the payment for medical services for the indigent. Although there are major differences among the states in eligibility criteria and benefits, the federal law requires that benefits include payment for long-term care services. The article notes that certain provisions of the law enable middle-class individuals to transfer assets and to use other means of qualifying for Medicaid. These practices, especially Medicaid estate planning, enable middle-class persons to retain their assets in their families rather than “spending down” to qualify for Medicaid benefits. This article argues that these practices constitute a form of legal welfare fraud. The reality of the long-term care provisions of the Medicaid program can be seen as backfiring in ways that undermine the intended purpose of the program and that have negative consequences for the general social good.
Polarity and International Stability.

In his article in the June 1991 issue of this Review, Ted Hopf challenged the argument that bipolar systems are inherently more stable than multipolar configurations of power. He reported that the international situation in sixteenth century Europe became only marginally more stable with a shift from a multipolar to a bipolar system. He argued for attention to the offensive-defensive balance, rather than systemic polarity. Manus Midlarsky accounts for Hopf's findings, and for evidence of multipolarity and increased conflict in the early seventeenth and twentieth centuries, by proposing a relationship between polarity and war that is contingent on scarcity of desired international resources. Midlarsky argues for more attention to contingent relationships generally and draws implications for current and future probabilities of conflict in a multipolar world. Hopf responds by pointing out the need for further development of Midlarsky's analysis, the possible compatibility between Midlarsky's formulation and his own focus on the offensive-defensive balance, and the desirability of a productive unity of the two research programs.
Intestinal Failure-Associated Metabolic Bone Diseases and Response to Teriparatide

Patients requiring home parenteral nutrition (PN) may develop metabolic bone disease, the etiology of which can be multifactorial. We report a case of significantly low bone mass in a postmenopausal woman with history of short bowel syndrome, renal impairment, and previous radiation exposure who responded to intermittent subcutaneous administration of parathyroid hormone. Her bone mineral density normalized after she completed a course of 18 months of treatment, and a bone isotope scan was negative for skeletal malignancy.
Self-reset logic for fast arithmetic applications

A new family of self-reset logic (SRL) cells is presented in this paper. The single-ended basic structure proposed realizes an incomplete logic family, since it is incapable of inverting logic. Thus, a dual-rail SRL (DRSRL) implementation is also proposed. These cells maintain small delay variations for all input combinations, once minimum timing requirements on inputs are satisfied, and produce output pulses of fairly constant width for varying fanout, leaving enough headroom in the design to accommodate process, supply voltage, and temperature variations. These properties simplify the implementation of data-path and control circuits where the logic depth does not affect the stage output pulse width, eliminating the need for pulse-width controlling circuits required in previous works on SRL. In SRL, power is consumed only if new data are pumped through the logic. The clock grid is limited to the registers that launch and receive the signal path. The clocking overhead is thus reduced, compared with other dynamic designs, and it is especially suitable for wave pipelining. Case study examples and simulated characterization data are included to show the design methodology.
Echocardiographic findings in stable outpatients with properly functioning HeartMate II left ventricular assist devices

Background Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become part of the standard of care for the treatment of advanced heart failure. However, knowledge of normal values for transthoracic echocardiographic examination and measurements in these patients are lacking. Methods All transthoracic echocardiographic examinations in 63 consecutive patients, performed 90 and 180 days after surgery with the implantation of a HeartMate II continuous-flow LVAD between February 2007 and January 2010, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had to be outpatients at 3 and 6 months after surgery and considered stable on LVAD therapy (New York Heart Association class I or II and no need for inotropes, intravenous furosemide, or hospitalization). Results End-diastolic and end-systolic diameters and left ventricular mass decreased considerably compared with baseline measurements before LVAD implantation. Mitral inflow deceleration time increased (188 ± 70 vs 132.5 ± 27 msec, P = .009) and left atrial volume (84.1 ± 33 vs 141.7 ± 62 mL, P = .003) and E/e′ ratio decreased (20.3 ± 9 vs 26 ± 11, P = .01), all consistent with decreased left ventricular filling pressure. Estimated right ventricular (RV) and right atrial pressure decreased significantly (34.1 ± 10 vs 51.7 ± 14 mm Hg and 9.5 ± 5 vs 14.4 ± 5 mm Hg, respectively, P P = .02), RV fractional area change (27.9 ± 10% vs 37.4 ± 10.9%, P P Conclusions This is the first report of selected typical echocardiographic values in a group of stable patients with normally functioning HeartMate II continuous-flow LVADs. A stable functioning continuous LVAD is associated with evidence of efficient unloading of the left ventricle, improved RV function, significant improvement in mitral regurgitation, improvement in tricuspid regurgitation only in patients undergoing repair, and increased aortic regurgitation. These normal data provide a basis for future echocardiographic studies after LVAD implantation.
Anchoring protein AKAP79-mediated PKA phosphorylation of STIM1 determines selective activation of the ARC channel, a store-independent Orai channel

Key points Although both the calcium store-dependent CRAC channels and the store-independent ARC channels are regulated by the protein STIM1, CRAC channels are regulated by STIM1 in the endoplasmic reticulum, whilst ARC channels are regulated by the STIM1 constitutively resident in the plasma membrane. We now demonstrate that activation of the ARC channels, but not CRAC channels, is uniquely dependent on phosphorylation of a single residue (T389) in the extensive cytosolic domain of STIM1 by protein kinase A. We further demonstrate that the phosphorylation of the T389 residue by protein kinase A is mediated by the association of plasma membrane STIM1 with the scaffolding protein AKAP79. Together, these findings indicate that the phosphorylation status of this single residue in STIM1 represents a key molecular determinant of the relative activities of these two co-existing Ca2+ entry channels that are known to play critical, but distinct, roles in modulating a variety of physiologically relevant activities. Abstract The low-conductance, highly calcium-selective channels encoded by the Orai family of proteins represent a major pathway for the agonist-induced entry of calcium associated with the generation and modulation of the key intracellular calcium signals that initiate and control a wide variety of physiologically important processes in cells. There are two distinct members of this channel family that co-exist endogenously in many cell types: the store-operated Ca2+ release-activated CRAC channels and the store-independent arachidonic acid-regulated ARC channels. Although the activities of both channels are regulated by the stromal-interacting molecule-1 (STIM1) protein, two distinct pools of this protein are responsible, with the major pool of STIM1 in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane regulating CRAC channel activity, whilst the minor pool of plasma membrane STIM1 regulates ARC channel activity. We now show that a critical feature in determining this selective activation of the two channels is the phosphorylation status of a single threonine residue (T389) within the extensive (∼450 residue) cytosolic domain of STIM1. Specifically, protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated phosphorylation of T389 of STIM1 is necessary for effective activation of the ARC channels, whilst phosphorylation of the same residue actually inhibits the ability of STIM1 to activate the CRAC channels. We further demonstrate that the PKA-mediated phosphorylation of T389 occurs at the plasma membrane via the involvement of the anchoring protein AKAP79, which is constitutively associated with the pool of STIM1 in the plasma membrane. The novel mechanism we have described provides a means for the cell to precisely regulate the relative activities of these two channels to independently modulate the resulting intracellular calcium signals in a physiologically relevant manner.
Cell-based therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cell lines represent a promising approach for treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Such cell lines can provide an abundant and reproducible source of beta-cell material for transplantation. A number of highly differentiated beta-cell lines have been developed using transgenic mice. These cells produce insulin amounts comparable to normal pancreatic islets and release it in response to physiological insulin secretagogues. Our laboratory has employed a reversible transformation approach to tightly regulate cell replication in these beta-cell lines, both in culture and in vivo. Beta-cell lines can be modulated by gene transfer to improve their function and survival. We have utilized adenovirus genes, which downregulate antigen presentation and increase cell resistance to cytokines, to facilitate transplantation of mouse beta cells across allogeneic barriers. These approaches could be applied to the development of human beta-cell lines by genetic engineering of isolated human islets.
Evaluating Medication Use for Continuous Quality Improvement in Diabetes Care

Copyright© 2002, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. All rights reserved. Author ontinuous quality improvement (CQI) is the structured organizational process for involving personnel in planning and executing a continuous flow of improvements to provide services that meet or exceed expectations. It is integral to the long-term success of managed care organizations (MCOs). Many purchasers of health care, along with accrediting bodies, have encouraged the adoption of the CQI philosophy and its tools. The hope is that CQI will lead to more efficient care as well as better health for members enrolled in health plans. The value of CQI is generally accepted, and consistent with the philosophy of CQI, the methods for measuring quality are undergoing constant evolution. The most common method for evaluating the quality of MCOs is the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). HEDIS includes performance indicators related to health promotion and the effectiveness of care for selected diseases. These performance indicators offer insight to the quality of care provided by MCOs. The number of performance indicators within HEDIS has expanded over the past several years, and the technical specifications for the indicators have been refined. Reported results and trends in the performance indicators over the past several years suggest that NCQA has been successful in stimulating quality improvement in MCOs Nonetheless, HEDIS does have limitations. Kerr and colleagues have pointed out several pitfalls in the use of HEDIS for quality improvement. These pitfalls include the lack of a strong link between many process-oriented measures and outcomes, intermediate outcomes-oriented measures that are not linked to actionable processes, measures that do not target those at highest-risk, the lack of severity adjustment for outcomes measures, and the inability of the measurement system to allow for patient exceptions. These pitfalls in the measurement system limit the utility of HEDIS for quality improvement efforts. Ideally, the current indicators in HEDIS would be supplemented by additional measures of quality that help to pinpoint specific health care processes that need improvement. Evaluating Medication Use for Continuous Quality Improvement in Diabetes Care
Presentation Modality and Source Monitoring During Management Inquiry: Effects on Auditors’ Reliability Judgments

An experiment was performed to determine whether the presentation modality of evidence affected auditors’ accuracy in identifying the sources of that evidence (i.e., source monitoring) and their subsequent judgments of evidence reliability. Participants were provided with conflicting explanations for a material increase in a fictitious client firm’s gross margin. The explanations were presented in either the same (both visual) or mixed (one visual and one auditory) modalities. The sources of the explanations had either the same (both high) or mixed (one high and one low) levels of credibility. Results indicate that auditors who received evidence in mixed presentation modalities were more accurate in identifying the sources of that evidence. Also, auditors with more accurate source monitoring judged evidence obtained from a less-credible source to be of significantly lower reliability than did auditors who were not as accurate in identifying evidence sources. These findings suggest that auditors’ judgments of evidence reliability may be influenced by the sensory modality by which evidence is perceived. Also, post-hoc analysis indicates that taking notes may improve auditors’ source monitoring accuracy when evidence is perceived via an auditory modality.
We Can Do Better — Improving the Health of the American People

In the 117th Shattuck Lecture, Dr. Steven Schroeder asks why the American system fails to deliver a standard of health similar to that observed in many other countries. In his arguments, he focuses on the public health risks of smoking and obesity and how they have been managed.
A wavelength-ratiometric pH sensitive probe based on the boronic acid moiety and suppressed sugar response

We characterize a new water soluble fluorescent probe sensitive to changes in pH. The new probe shows spectral shifts and intensity changes in different pH media, in a wavelength ratiometric and colorimetric manner. Subsequently, changes in pH can readily be determined around the physiological level. The new probe’s response is based on the ability of the boronic acid group to interact with strong bases like OH � , changing from the neutral form of the boronic acid group [R-B(OH)2] to the anionic R-B � (OH)3 form, which is an electron donating group. The presence of an electron deficient quaternary heterocyclic nitrogen center and a strong electron donating amino group in the 6-position,
Fast computation of electromagnetic fields in anisotropic media layered both vertically and cylindrically using the numerical mode matching (NMM) method

Summary form only given. A structure layered both vertically and horizontal cylindrically is a special 3D inhomogeneous medium with axial symmetry and has many engineering applications. An off-axis source will generate full three-dimensional electromagnetic fields in such a medium. Typical applications of such electromagnetic simulation include geophysical exploration, optical fiber communications and integrated optics. For example, in geophysical exploration, the induction well-logging tool consisting triaxial coils will produce nonaxisymmetric electromagnetic waves in a heterogeneous formation. Numerical mode matching (NMM) method is a powerful semi-analytical solver that can reduce a higher dimensional problem into a series of lower dimensional problems through numerical computation of eigenmodes and their reflection and transmission. Here the NMM method is applied to solve the 2.5D problem of an off-axis source radiating in the inhomogeneous medium layered vertically and cylindrically. The eigenmodes in each horizontal layer can be easily obtained by the 1D FEM. The discrete eigenmodes will be found if the structure is finite whereas continuous modes, i.e. radiation modes, will be observed for unbounded structure. The reflection and transmission matrices due to the multiple junction discontinuities can be found by matching boundary condition of tangential components of electric and magnetic fields. The excited total fields can be expressed in terms of summation of eigenmodes with different coefficients. The NMM method has previously been shown to be a fast and robust semianalytical solver for this 2.5D inhomogeneous medium. In this work, we have improved the NMM method with new capabilities: (1) The method has been extended to anisotropic media to expand its application range. (2) The perfectly matched layer (PML) has been added as an absorbing boundary condition in cylindrical coordinate system to make NMM more accurate in low conductivity media and applicable to lossless media. (3) Instead of using small radius to approach origin, this paper manipulates weak form of Maxwell's equation and impose the boundary condition to yield exact fields at origin. It is crucial in borehole well-logging system, which frequently measures the field along the Zaxis. (4) This work offers formulations for fields excited by both electric and magnetic dipole with arbitrary orientations. Numerical results will be shown to demonstrate the efficacy of this method.
A longitudinal analysis of the moderated effects of networking relationships on organizational performance in a sub-Saharan African economy

The conventional wisdom from studies in both advanced Western economies and emerging economies indicate that managerial networking relationships matter. This article examines the circumstances under which managerial networking relationships matter by focusing on how the effect of managerial networking relationships on organizational performance is contingent upon certain organizational and environmental characteristics.The development and utilization of managerial networking relationships with external entities is broadened to include those with top managers of other firms, political leaders, government bureaucratic officials, and community leaders. Using data from 106 organizations in Ghana over two time periods, the findings show that only managerial social networking relationships with top managers of other firms, government bureaucratic officials, and community leaders enhance organizational performance. Moreover, the effect of networking relationships on performance is contingent on organizational as...
PACH: Ploidy-AgnostiC Haplotyping

Organisms can be categorized based on the copy number of each chromosome they have. In genomic studies, diploid organisms such as humans, mice, etc. have been the focus of extensive research for decades. Organisms with more than two sets of homologous chromosomes, however, have received attention from the community only recently, in studying the genomics of disease, phylogenetic, and evolution studies. The presence of more than two copies of each chromosome in the cells of an organism which is common in plants, some animals, and human body tissues is referred to as Polyploidy. To understand structure of each chromosome, haplotype assembly is needed. Current computational algorithms for phasing, however, either focus on diploid organisms or fail to accurately reconstruct haplotypes on polyploidy organisms. This has limited scalability and generalizability of such algorithms. Therefore, there is a need to develop new algorithms that are not only accurate in reconstructing chromosome copies from DNA sequencing data but also can be applied to organisms of various ploidy levels. In this paper, we present PACH, a novel and ploidy-agnostic phasing framework. PACH is a fragment partitioning approach based on a fragment conflict graph model to quantify inter-fragment dissimilarities. We introduce a partitioning approach followed by a partition merging technique to accurately group similar fragments into any number of partitions depending on the ploidy level of the organism from which the sequencing data are derived. Our preliminary results demonstrate that PACH outperforms the state-of-the-art computational techniques. The amount of improvement in the MEC (Minimum Error Correction) score ranges from 82 to 98% using triploid, tetraploid, and decaploid data.
Lymph nodes' evaluation in relation to colorectal cancer staging among African Americans.

Background Lymph nodes’ examination in colorectal cancer (CRC) resection specimens is an important determinant that aids in the accuracy of CRC staging and treatment outcomes. Current guidelines call for the examination of at least 12 lymph nodes (LN) in resected specimens in order to establish accurate staging.
Family Mathematics Nights: An Opportunity to Improve Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Parents' Roles and Expectations.

Providing preservice teachers with opportunities to engage with parents and begin to see them as collaborators in their children's education is a persistent challenge in mathematics methods courses and teacher preparation programs more broadly. We describe the use of family mathematics nights as a model for engaging parents and preservice teachers. These events helped preservice teachers feel more comfortable in working with parents, while also giving them a friendly space for learning more about parents, the ways they work with their children, and activities they do with their children. Incorporating surveys about parents' needs and suggestions for preservice teachers allowed us to use the results as a catalyst for fostering discussions around parent engagement later in the methods course.
The microenvironment of lung cancer and therapeutic implications

The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a milieu that enables tumor cells to acquire the hallmarks of cancer. The TME is heterogeneous in composition and consists of cellular components, growth factors, proteases, and extracellular matrix. Concerted interactions between genetically altered tumor cells and genetically stable intratumoral stromal cells result in an “activated/reprogramed” stroma that promotes carcinogenesis by contributing to inflammation, immune suppression, therapeutic resistance, and generating premetastatic niches that support the initiation and establishment of distant metastasis. The lungs present a unique milieu in which tumors progress in collusion with the TME, as evidenced by regions of aberrant angiogenesis, acidosis and hypoxia. Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, and pulmonary disorders in lung cancer patients such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema, constitute comorbid conditions and are independent risk factors for lung cancer. The TME also contributes to immune suppression, induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and diminishes efficacy of chemotherapies. Thus, the TME has begun to emerge as the “Achilles heel” of the disease, and constitutes an attractive target for anti-cancer therapy. Drugs targeting the components of the TME are making their way into clinical trials. Here, we will focus on recent advances and emerging concepts regarding the intriguing role of the TME in lung cancer progression, and discuss future directions in the context of novel diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.
The Value of H-1B Status in Times of Scarcity

For-profit firms are limited in their ability to hire new, foreign-born, highly-educated workers after quotas on H-1B work permits are met each year, though they are able to hire existing H-1B workers. Universities and other non-profit research institutions do not face the same restrictions. Using difference in- difference methodology, this paper estimates the marginal value of an accepted H-1B job offer â€” in the form of wages â€” at for-profit firms after quotas have been met. Lower-bound estimates suggest a 1% wage premium with the largest differences occurring in the first month after meeting the quota. At least some of these effects are attributable to wage increases within narrowly-defined groups of workers during years in which available H-1B permits are quickly exhausted. These results provide indirect evidence that H-1B workers are imperfectly substitutable with other labor sources.
Apperception: B-Deduction § 16

In B-Deduction § 16 Kant now begins the formal Deduction reasoning that starts from the assumption that H knows through i and proceeds by way of the holding of transcendental unity of apperception to the conclusion that the object of i falls under the categories. In particular, he argues that the elements of i, i 1 and i 2, are subject to unity of apperception. Hence not only must H be able to accompany each of i 1 and i 2 by the act of apperceptive thought that Kant calls the I think.1 But, also, H must be able to accompany both of i 1 and i 2 simultaneously by the I think in one act of mind. So H must be able to think the combined thought ‘I think (i 1 and i 2)’ that holds i 1 and i 2 together before H’s thought-consciousness as one combined set of intuition-elements. However, by § 15, combination cannot be given, and therefore (because there is no other possible source, in the case of a being like us) this combination of i 1 and i 2 must be due to an act of synthesis by H’s mind. So the subjection of i 1 and i 2 to unity of apperception requires a synthetic combination of those elements before H’s thought-consciousness — a synthetic combination that Kant argues, in § 16, to be the source of any (knowable or recognizable) combination that those elements have. In B-Deduction § 16, Kant thus shows, if his reasoning is correct, that the subjection of i to transcendental unity of apperception yields a combination of i’s manfold from which all other a priori forms of combination of that manifold follow, including, as we see in later sections of the B-Deduction, the combination that yields the subjection of i’s object to the categories.
The Clock Paradox in Relativity Theory

(1959). The Clock Paradox in Relativity Theory. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 1-18.
Insect growth regulators: laboratory and field evaluations of Thompson-Hayward TH-6040 against the house fly and the stable fly.

In the laboratory, the insect growth regulator, Thompson-Hayward TH-6040, ( N -(4-chlorophenyl)-N′-(2,6-difluorobenzoyl)-urea), prevented the emergence of the house fly, Musca domestica L., and the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), when it was applied topically at a rate of 1 mg/ft2 of surface breeding area. In a cattle feedlot and at a waste water treatment plant, TH-6040 applied to the surface of the breeding area at a rate of 50 mg/ft2 gave 90% control of house flies. The TH-6040 apparently is effective only by ingestion. The IGR caused a disruption in the cuticle formation of the house fly and the stable fly during larval-pupal metamorphosis.
Direct measurement of conduction velocity in in situ specialized conducting system of mammalian heart.

SummaryBy use of a pump-oxygenator and cardiopulmonary bypass, bipolar electro-grams have been recorded under direct vision from the bundle of His, the right and left bundle branches and peripheral Purkinje system of dog hearts. Conduction velocity from the bundle of His to bundle branches is 1.0-1.5 m/sec, while in the false tendons this value is 3-4 m/sec at 36°C.