cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydroperoxides of fatty acids induce programmed cell death in tomato protoplasts

Arachidonic acid (AA) is a fatty acid elicitor abundant in the glycerolipids of the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans and related Oomycete species. Lipoxygenases (LOX), which catalyze the addition of molecular oxygen to the 1 or 5 position of a cis, cis -1,4- Z, Z -pentadiene system in polyunsaturated fatty acids, is induced in host plants such as tomato and potato during infection by P. infestans. Here it is reported that AA, the LOX metabolites of AA, 5- and 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenioc acid (5- and 15-HpETE), and the LOX metabolite of linoleic acid, 9-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HpODE), are potent inducers of programmed cell death (PCD) in tomato protoplasts. 5- and 15-HpETE increased DNA fragmentation as detected by t erminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d U TP-X n ick e nd l abeling (TUNEL) and increased DNA laddering as visualized by ligation-mediated PCR. Background levels of DNA laddering were decreased in intensity by Zn2+ and increased by Ca2+, effects that are consistent with the reported action of these cations on PCD-associated endonucleases in other systems. H2O2, methyl jasmonate, and linoleic and linolenic acids were not toxic to tomato protoplasts at concentrations up to 350 μM, and lipid peroxides (LD100 = 80 μM) were far more potent inducers of death than free AA within this same concentration range. These results indicate the potential of fatty acid peroxides and LOX-related metabolism to engage an apoptotic type of PCD in higher plant cells.
Cell Tracking and Transplant Imaging

There is an increased need to determine the fate of transplanted cells, owing in part to the great promise of cell therapy in contrast to the limited successful clinical trials. Imaging allows investigations into the survival and biodistribution of implanted cells necessary to understand the mechanisms of action. Ultimately, this allows studies to correlate a biological response or therapeutic outcome with the presence of transplanted cells. Such correlation is critical to understanding both the progression of disease pathology and effect of cell therapies. Studies can be longitudinal, where cells can be noninvasively monitored over time or singular, where the immediate delivery needs to be determined, or a combination of both. For longitudinal studies, serial images are taken over time and are most suitable when cells are migrating away from the engraftment site as relevant to the disease or therapy (Fan et al. 2012).
Design der Studie

Im Folgenden sollen zunachst die Anlage der Studie selbst sowie die Charakteristika der Stichproben der Studierenden dargestellt werden. Zur Erfassung motivationaler Orientierungen und Uberzeugungen im Bereich der politischen Bildung und zur Uberprufung der Hypothesen wurde ein Paper-Pencil-Test entwickelt. Auf dessen Konstruktion sowie auf die Gutekriterien des Instruments wird nach der Vorstellung der Messinstrumente zur Erfassung abhangiger und unabhangiger Variablen eingegangen.
On the asymmetric effects of oil price changes on Alaska oil tax revenue

ABSTRACTAlaska depends on oil tax revenue for more than 90% of the state budget. In this article, we apply the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach of to test whether the effect...
A common tattoo chemical for energy storage: henna plant-derived naphthoquinone dimer as a green and sustainable cathode material for Li-ion batteries

The burgeoning energy demands of an increasingly eco-conscious population have spurred the need for sustainable energy storage devices, and have called into question the viability of the popular lithium ion battery. A series of natural polyaromatic compounds have previously displayed the capability to bind lithium via polar oxygen-containing functional groups that act as redox centers in potential electrodes. Lawsone, a widely renowned dye molecule extracted from the henna leaf, can be dimerized to bislawsone to yield up to six carbonyl/hydroxyl groups for potential lithium coordination. The facile one-step dimerization and subsequent chemical lithiation of bislawsone minimizes synthetic steps and toxic reagents compared to existing systems. We therefore report lithiated bislawsone as a candidate to advance non-toxic and recyclable green battery materials. Bislawsone based electrodes displayed a specific capacity of up to 130 mA h g−1 at 20 mA g−1 currents, and voltage plateaus at 2.1–2.5 V, which are comparable to modern Li-ion battery cathodes.
Quasi 3D transdimensional Markov-chain Monte Carlo for seismic impedance inversion and uncertainty analysis

AbstractAccurate estimation of subsurface properties plays an important role in successful hydrocarbon exploration, and a variety of different types of inversion schemes are used to infer earth pro...
Innate Recognition of the Microbiota by TLR1 Promotes Epithelial Homeostasis and Prevents Chronic Inflammation.

There is cross-talk between the intestinal epithelium and the microbiota that functions to maintain a tightly regulated microenvironment and prevent chronic inflammation. This communication is partly mediated through the recognition of bacterial proteins by host-encoded innate receptors, such as TLRs. However, studies examining the role of TLR signaling on colonic homeostasis have given variable and conflicting results. Despite its critical role in mediating immunity during enteric infection of the small intestine, TLR1-mediated recognition of microbiota-derived ligands and their influence on colonic homeostasis has not been well studied. In this study, we demonstrate that defective TLR1 recognition of the microbiome by epithelial cells results in disruption of crypt homeostasis specifically within the secretory cell compartment, including a defect in the mucus layer, ectopic Paneth cells in the colon, and an increase in the number of rapidly dividing cells at the base of the crypt. As a consequence of the perturbed epithelial barrier, we found an increase in mucosal-associated and translocated commensal bacteria and chronic low-grade inflammation characterized by an increase in lineage-negative Sca1 + Thy1 hi innate lymphoid-like cells that exacerbate inflammation and worsen outcomes in a model of colonic injury and repair. Our findings demonstrate that sensing of the microbiota by TLR1 may provide key signals that regulate the colonic epithelium, thereby limiting inflammation through the prevention of bacterial attachment to the mucosa and exposure to the underlying immune system.
Swapping mothers on Facebook: The process of collaborative consumption of children's clothes

Collaborative consumption is a phenomenon of people coordinating acquisition and distribution of a resource for a fee or other compensation (Belk, 2014). The purpose of this study was to explore consumers' collaborative consumption experiences within a Facebook swap group. Special attention was paid to provide detailed description of collaborative consumption experiences during three stages of the process (before, during, and after) in the context of mothers swapping children's clothes. A total of 20 mothers in a Facebook swap group were interviewed. To facilitate successful swapping experience and to build trust, swapping groups on Facebook had strict policies/ rules that require their members to abide by. As a seller, mothers went through many steps from clothing selection, preparation, to shipping boxes of clothes to the buyer. As a buyer, mothers used various criteria to build trust of the seller. The findings of this study provide implications to marketers and consumers.
Moving Beyond Langdell II: An Annotated Bibliography of Current Methods for Law Teaching

In 1994, Gonzaga Institute for Law Teaching and the Gonzaga Law Review co-sponsored a bibliography that annotated articles on teaching methods used in law schools. The bibliography covered articles published between 1985 and the first half of 1993. This bibliography continues the process of reporting articles that offer practical suggestions on pedagogy. It does not duplicate any of the annotations previously reported and covers a five and-a-half year period, from June 1993 to December 1999. Similarly, this bibliography does not replicate the annotations found in a related bibliography reporting on methods for teaching lawyering skills in the traditional classroom, even though most, if not all, of its 204 entries would be relevant to the present bibliography. Also, the nascent body of articles on teaching law by means of distance education is included elsewhere Although the majority of articles cited are from United States legal publications, unlike the previous bibliography, we also made a concerted effort to include relevant articles from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand since 1990.
A framework for evaluating architectural issues of parallel systems

Parallel computing is becoming increasingly important for scientific advancement and economic development. Despite the promise of being able to meet the increased computational needs of the future, the delivered performance of parallel machines often falls short of the projected peak performance. Evaluating and analyzing the performance of a parallel application on an architecture to explain the disparity between projected and delivered performance has widespread application in parallel systems research. But conducting such a study is hard due to the additional degrees of freedom exhibited by these systems compared to their sequential counterparts. In this thesis, we identify performance metrics that give detailed information on parallel system performance and outline a framework that has been developed to quantify these metrics. The framework uses an application-driven approach with a combination of experimental, simulation and analytical techniques. The evaluation framework can be used to research a variety of issues in parallel systems. Using a suite of applications and a shared memory architecture platform, we illustrate the use of the framework with four case-studies. The first study evaluates the scalability of the chosen suite of applications and the results are used to enhance performance by application restructuring. The second study explores the use of the framework in validating theoretical/analytical models of parallel systems and illustrates how these models can be used to ease resource requirements of execution-driven simulators. The third study characterizes the communication bandwidth requirements of parallel applications and quantifies the necessary link bandwidth in the interconnection network for a desired level of performance. The last study focuses on minimizing/tolerating the network latency in the context of shared memory multiprocessors by examining the communication characteristics of real applications and deriving a set of explicit communication mechanisms from these characteristics. The last two studies are two different architectural solutions to the same problem, namely, lowering the communication overhead in an application.
When Time Isn't Money: Foundation Payouts and the Time Value of Money

Since their original enactment in 1969, the minimum payout rule applicable to charitable foundations has allowed foundations to distribute funds at a rate that is roughly consistent with a foundation remaining in existence in perpetuity. Most foundations make grants at the minimum rate or slightly higher. Commentators have argued that faster payout rates are socially superior to slower payout rates, and that higher payout rates should be legally mandated. One argument that has been made invokes the concepts of discounted cash flow and the time value of money in support of this argument. This article explains why those concepts are irrelevant to the foundation payout issue and begins to develop an appropriate framework for analyzing the intergenerational allocation of foundation funds.
Neutrophil phagocytic and serum opsonic response of the foal to Corynebacterium equi.

This study was undertaken to examine the neutrophil response to Corynebacterium (Rhodococcus) equi, and to assess the possibility of neutrophil immaturity or malfunction in predisposition to C. equi pneumonia in foals. Neutrophil phagocytosis of Corynebacterium (Rhodococcus) equi was studied in foals from birth to 6 months of age. Chemiluminescence (CL) and bactericidal assays were used to assay the phagocytic response of peripheral blood neutrophils to C. equi in vitro. Results of in vitro bactericidal and CL assays indicate that foal neutrophils are able to ingest and kill C. equi, however are significantly more efficient in the presence of opsonization with specific antibody, and less importantly complement. Neutrophil CL was significantly decreased (p greater than .05) or eliminated by antibody adsorption, heat-inactivation, or removal of serum from the assay. The ability of the neutrophil to kill C. equi, as measured by in vitro bactericidal assay, was greater than 90% killing by 6 hours, in the presence of C. equi antiserum. Bactericidal activity was reduced to less than 40% killing when C. equi adsorbed serum was used as the opsonin source. As CL results indicated complement involvement in the opsonization of C. equi, the temporal development of hemolytic and conglutinating complement was measured in normal and C. equi infected foals. Neither defects nor age-related suppression of neutrophil function or complement activity were detected in C. equi affected foals, suggesting that these are not pathogenic mechanisms involved in foal pneumonia.
Atmospheric Transports of Particulate and Gaseous Products by Fires

Atmospheric transports of fire-generated products are scale-dependent phenomena. The occurrence of fires in time and space is also related to atmospheric scales of motion. Large scales of motion (>1000 km), such as the semi-permanent subtropical anticyclones, may control rainfall and rainfall in turn influences the water balance and the probability of fires. Long term drought conditions influence biomass and hence the production of any fire. This complex role of the atmosphere in generating and transporting products from fires is the focus of this chapter.
Mineral-Aerosol Transport to the North Atlantic and North Pacific: The Impact of African and Asian Sources

In many respects, mineral dust is one of the oldest and longest studied examples of long-range transport. The earliest accounts of this phenomenon, many of which appeared in the general press, are those describing red rains and snows. Although some observers often ascribed these events to fanciful causes (sometimes describing them as “blood” rains), many correctly concluded that the material in the rains was soil dust, which was suspected to have come from distant sources. (For a comprehensive review of the literature on dust falls in Europe, see Bucher 1986, Fett 1958.)
The Intersection of Genetics and Epigenetics: Reactivation of Mammalian LINE-1 Retrotransposons by Environmental Injury

Transposable elements such as LINE-1 (long interspersed nuclear element-1 or L1) are mobile genetic moieties within the genome. L1 retrotransposons comprise 21 % of the human genome by mass, and up to 100 are believed to remain retrotransposition competent within the human genome. During embryonic development, the genome undergoes reprogramming events defined by specific patterns of DNA methylation established de novo after implantation and preferentially targeted to repetitive sequences. Recent studies in the Ramos laboratory have shown that the ability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens, such as benzo(a)pyrene, to reactivate L1 transcription and retrotransposition in mammalian cells involves dysregulation of epigenetic programming mediated in part via mechanisms involving the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, a ligand-activated transcription factor and regulator of several other biological processes. The most detrimental effect of L1 on the genome is believed to be insertion into functional sequences that severely compromise gene function. Other studies have shown that L1 reactivation mediates changes in genetic programming of differentiation networks. Because L1 insertions can have a profound impact on primary genetic structure as well as epigenetic status of the host, they represent ideal molecular targets for development of novel epigenetic therapies targeting medical conditions that involve derangements of L1 activity.
Vibration Suppression Control in Robotic Percussive Drilling

Percussive drilling is widely used in construction and mineral industry to remove bristle materials such as concrete and rocks. Robotic percussive drilling greatly increases drilling performance and efficiency. However, the use of flexible manipulator introduces undesirable vibration because of the high impact drilling forces. We present a disturbance observer (DOB)-based vibration suppression control of a robotic percussive drilling process. A distributed parameter model is first constructed for the robotic drilling setup. We then design the DOB-based controller to compensate for the vibration disturbances that are generated by the high-energy bit-concrete impact. The vibration suppression control is validated by simulation results using the developed model for the hardware system. The results confirm that the proposed DOB-based control effectively reduces the vibration magnitude by more than 80%.
Mnemonic accessibility affects statement believability: The effect of listening to others selectively practicing beliefs

Abstract Belief endorsement is rarely a fully deliberative process. Oftentimes, one’s beliefs are influenced by superficial characteristics of the belief evaluation experience. Here, we show that by manipulating the mnemonic accessibility of particular beliefs we can alter their believability. We use a well-established socio-cognitive paradigm (i.e., the social version of the selective practice paradigm) to increase the mnemonic accessibility of some beliefs and induce forgetting in others. We find that listening to a speaker selectively practicing beliefs results in changes in believability. Beliefs that are mentioned become mnemonically accessible and exhibit an increase in believability, while beliefs that are related to those mentioned exrience mnemonic suppression, which results in decreased believability. Importantly, the latter effect occurs regardless of whether the belief is scientifically accurate or inaccurate. Furthermore, beliefs that are endorsed with moderate-strength are particularly susceptible to mnemonically-induced believability changes. These findings, we argue, have the potential to guide interventions aimed at correcting misinformation in vulnerable communities.
Correction of Variance for Extraneous Contribution of Gradient

The drawing of isolines of standard deviation for a function (temperature, for example) necessitates having a sufficient number of stationary points, sufficiently close together, for which the frequency distributions of the function are known. Over ocean areas, however{ this necessity is not met, and will not be met, presumably, for a very long time. T h e best that can be done at present is to deal with the observations for a finite area over a finite period of time, combining them as elements of a single frequency distribution for some point near the center of the area in question. This procedure introduces extraneous spatial deviations, giving the variance of our function too large a value. The magnitude of this error increases with the size of the area and with the numerical value of the gradient, and also varies to some extent with the latitude and the orientation of the isolines of the function. This report proposes a formula for the correction of this error.
On Upper and Lower Extremes in Stationary Sequences

Unlike the classical result for iid sequences, the maximum and minimum of stationary mixing sequences can be asymptotically dependent. The class of non-degenerate limit distributions of the maximum and minimum from such processes turn out to be of the form H(x, ∞) — H(x, −y) where II(x, y) is a bivariate extreme value distribution. In some instances, the joint limiting distribution of any collection of upper and lower extremes may be determined as well. Moreover, using a special case of this result, it can be shown that the partial sums converge in distribution to a non-normal stable limit. Examples illustrating various aspects of the above results are also presented.
Effect of Fabric on Liquefaction and Densification of Saturated Soil: Experiments and Theory

Summary It has been known that the inherent and induced anisotropy or fabric has considerable influence on the response and failure modes of granular masses. Some definitive recent experiments which clearly demonstrate this phenomenon in relation to the densification and liquefaction potential of saturated sands, are briefly reviewed, together with associated micromechanically based theoretical observations.
Pharmacological therapies and factors delivery for spinal cord injury regeneration

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the major causes of irreversible nerve injury, affecting both sensory and motor neurons, which poses a significant physical, emotional, and economic burden on both the individual and society. Current treatments are aimed at symptomatic alleviation and do not lead to complete functional recovery. In this chapter, we describe emerging pharmacological therapies being developed to facilitate functional recovery upon SCI, with primary focus on the delivery of small molecule pharmaceuticals, growth factors, and neurotrophins. We also discuss biomaterial scaffolds that provide a permissive environment for neural regeneration, while serving as deports for pharmaceuticals release. Current research suggests that sustained and localized delivery of therapeutic molecules leads to improved functional recovery in animal models and has a tremendous translational potential.
Origin of Electronic Modification of Platinum in a Pt3V Alloy and Its Consequences for Propane Dehydrogenation Catalysis

We demonstrate the synthesis of a Pt3V alloy and Pt/Pt3V core/shell catalysts, which are highly selective for propane dehydrogenation. The selectivity is a result of the Pt3V intermetallic phase, w...
Association between the morphometric parameters of placenta and umbilical cord with the birth weight

Objectives: Birth weight is a vital parameter used to predict the future growth and development of a new born. The survival of the foetus in utero depends on proper functions of the placenta. The study aims to express the relation between the birth weight and placental and umbilical cord morphometric parameters. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 418 singleton normal vaginal deliveries. The collected placentae were washed to remove the blood clots and the weight, thickness, and diameters of placentae and the length of umbilical cord were measured. Shape and margin of the placentae, location of umbilical cord insertion and number of cotyledons and the twist pattern of umbilical cord have been determined through careful examination. the birth weight of the foetus was obtained immediately after the delivery. Results: The collected data has been analysed by multiple linear regression test using R software with p value ≤ 0.05 as the significance. The weight of the foetus exhibited positive significant linear relationship with thickness (p=0.001), weight (p=0.000) and Surface area (p=0.000) of the placental disk. The velamentous cord insertion showed (p=0.019) negative relation with birth weight. The non-twist umbilical cord showed positive significant (p=0.04) association with birth weight. Other parameters were not significant with the birth weight. Conclusion: Thickness, weight and surface area of the disk and non-twist umbilical cord increases the birth weight of the foetus. However, velamentous cord insertion related to reduction in the birth weight.
Injective Simplicial Maps of the Complex of Arcs on Nonorientable Surfaces

We prove that each injective simplicial map from the complex of arcs of a compact, connected, nonorientable surface with nonempty boundary to itself is induced by a homeomorphism of the surface. We also prove that the automorphism group of the arc complex is isomorphic to the quotient of the mapping class group of the surface by its center. 57M99; 20F38
A retrospective study examining the influence of pre-illness diet on the clinical course of viral respiratory illness in critically ill infants, 0-5 months of age

Introduction: Studies have shown that breastfeeding offers several health benefits such as optimal weight gain and lower rates of infectious diseases. The macro and micronutrient content of breast milk has been studied for decades but only recently are we beginning to understand its impact on the developing immune system. In spite of attempts to mimic the metabolic content of breast milk, immune proteins are harder to mimic as they are more labile and less likely to survive storage. It is accepted that breast milk provides some resistance to viral illness …
Extraction of buildings three-dimensional information from high-resolution satellite imagery based on Barista software

The demand for accurate and up-to-date spatial information of urban buildings is becoming more and more important for urban planning,environmental protection,and other vocations. Today's commercial high-resolution satellite imagery offers the potential to extract the three-dimensional information of urban buildings. This paper extracted the three-dimensional information of urban buildings from QuickBird imagery,and validated the precision of the extraction based on Barista software. It was shown that the extraction of three-dimensional information of the buildings from high-resolution satellite imagery based on Barista software had the advantages of low professional level demand,powerful universality,simple operation,and high precision. One pixel level of point positioning and height determination accuracy could be achieved if the digital elevation model (DEM) and sensor orientation model had higher precision and the off-Nadir View Angle was relatively perfect.
Impact of Confinement in Patients under Long-Term Noninvasive Ventilation during the First Wave of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Remarkable Resilience.

Background During the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Switzerland, confinement was imposed to limit transmission and protect vulnerable persons. These measures may have had a negative impact on perceived quality of care and symptoms in patients with chronic disorders. Objectives To determine whether patients under long-term home noninvasive ventilation (LTHNIV) for chronic respiratory failure (CRF) were negatively affected by the 56-day confinement (March-April 2020). Methods A questionnaire-based survey exploring mood disturbances (HAD), symptom scores related to NIV (S3-NIV), and perception of health-care providers during confinement was sent to all patients under LTHNIV followed up by our center. Symptom scores and data obtained by ventilator software were compared between confinement and the 56 days prior to confinement. Results Of a total of 100 eligible patients, 66 were included (median age: 66 years [IQR: 53-74]): 35 (53%) with restrictive lung disorders, 20 (30%) with OHS or SRBD, and 11 (17%) with COPD or overlap syndrome. Prevalence of anxiety (n = 7; 11%) and depressive (n = 2; 3%) disorders was remarkably low. Symptom scores were slightly higher during confinement although this difference was not clinically relevant. Technical data regarding ventilation, including compliance, did not change. Patients complained of isolation and lack of social contact. They felt supported by their relatives and caregivers but complained of the lack of regular contact and information by health-care professionals. Conclusions Patients under LTHNIV for CRF showed a remarkable resilience during the SARS-CoV-2 confinement period. Comments provided may be helpful for managing similar future health-care crises.
Usability Study of Two Collocated Prototype System Displays

Currently, most of the displays in control rooms can be categorized as status screens, alerts/procedures screens (or paper), or control screens (where the state of a component is changed by the operator). The primary focus of this line of research is to determine which pieces of information (status, alerts/procedures, and control) should be collocated. Two collocated displays were tested for ease of understanding in an automated desktop survey. This usability study was conducted as a prelude to a larger human-in-the-loop experiment in order to verify that the 2 new collocated displays were easy to learn and usable. The results indicate that while the DC display was preferred and yielded better performance than the MDO display, both collocated displays can be easily learned and used.
Noncoding RNAs: small, large and viral

The lecture will trace the history of our appreciation of the pivotal roles played by noncoding RNAs in the regulation of gene expression, first in uninfected and then in virus-infected vertebrate cells. I shall begin with the unusual basis of the discovery of the splicing snRNPs (small nuclear ribonucleoproteins) and mention the other major classes of noncoding RNAs. The remainder of the lecture will focus on the habit of viruses to acquire components (here noncoding RNAs) from their host cells but then utilize them in unanticipated ways to enhance the viral life cycle. Thus, through studying viral noncoding RNAs, insights are gained into the evolution of both viruses and their host organisms.
Variability in bacterial community structure during upwelling in the coastal ocean

Over the last 30 years, investigations at the community level of marine bacteria and phytoplankton populations suggest they are tightly coupled. However, traditional oceanographic approaches cannot assess whether associations between specific bacteria and phytoplankton exist. Recently, molecular based approaches have been implemented to characterize specific members of different marine bacterial communities. Yet, few molecular- based studies have examined coastal upwelling situations. This is important since upwelling systems provide a unique opportunity for analyzing the association between specific bacteria and specific phytoplankton in the ocean. It is widely believed that upwelling can lead to changes in phytoplankton populations (blooms). Thus, if specific associations exist, we would expect to observe changes in the bacterial population triggered by the bloom. In this paper, we present preliminary data from coastal waters off New Jersey that confirm a shift in bacterial communities during a 1995 upwelling event recorded at a long-term earth observatory (LEO-15) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Using PCR amplification and cloning, specific bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA sequences were found which were present in upwelling samples during a phytoplankton bloom, but were not detected in non-bloom samples (surface seawater, offshore sites or sediment samples) collected at the same time or in the same area. These findings are consistent with the notion of specific associations between bacteria and phytoplankton in the ocean. However, further examination of episodic events, such as coastal upwelling, are needed to confirm the existence of specific associations. Additionally, experiments need to be performed to elucidate the mechanisms leading to the specific linkages between a group of bacteria and a group of phytoplankton.
Clinical and angiographic outcome after directional coronary atherectomy: A qualitative and quantitative analysis using coronary arteriography and intravascular ultrasound☆

To assess clinical and angiographic outcome after directional coronary atherectomy, the clinical course of 306 patients undergoing this procedure was reviewed. Directional atherectomy was successful in 290 (94.8%) procedures; complications developed in 8 (2.6%) patients. After atherectomy, percent diameter stenosis was reduced from 71 ± 14 to 14 ± 14% (p 30%. Intravascular ultrasound was also performed in 57 patients after directional atherectomy and demonstrated that a significant amount of residual plaque mass remained in lesions with a calcium arc ≥90° (17 ± 5 mm2 vs 12 ± 5 mm2 in lesions without calcium; p = 0.007). During the 11 ± 6 month follow-up period, 69 (28.3%) patients developed recurrent clinical events (death, 5; Q wave myocardial infarction, 8; coronary bypass surgery, 31; coronary angioplasty, 36). Using a proportional hazards model, independent predictors of late clinical events included diabetes mellitus (relative risk [RR] = 1.95; p <0.05), unstable angina (RR = 2.78; p <0.005) and a prior history of restenosis (RR = 2.21; p <0.01). We conclude that directional atherectomy is associated with high procedural success rates and infrequent complications in selected lesion subsets, although the degree of plaque resection may be limited if extensive calcium is present. Late clinical events develop in some (28%) patients after directional atherectomy, related to certain preprocedural clinical risk factors.
Campaign Field Offices and Voter Mobilization in 2012

During the last several presidential elections, much attention has been paid to campaign field offices. A number of analyses have investigated the impact of field offices on vote choice, but there have been very few investigations of whether and to what extent campaign field offices influence voter turnout. Using data from the 2012 election, I examine the impact of Obama and Romney field offices on county-level turnout. I find that the presence of campaign field offices in counties across the United States increased turnout by a small amount. The results presented here add to the literature on campaign effects by showing that field offices—an increasingly important component of modern presidential campaigning—can influence levels of political engagement.
Protein Structure Prediction Using Rosetta

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates protein structure prediction using Rosetta. Double-blind assessments of protein structure prediction methods have indicated that the Rosetta algorithm is perhaps the most successful current method for de novo protein structure prediction. In the Rosetta method, short fragments of known proteins are assembled by a Monte Carlo strategy to yield native-like protein conformations. Using only sequence information, successful Rosetta predictions yield models with typical accuracies of 3–6 A˚ Cα root mean square deviation (RMSD) from the experimentally determined structures for contiguous segments of 60 or more residues. For each structure prediction, many short simulations starting from different random seeds are carried out to generate an ensemble of decoy structures that have both favorable local interactions and protein-like global properties. This set is then clustered by structural similarity to identify the broadest free energy minima. The effectiveness of conformation modification operators for energy function optimization is also described in this chapter.
One-dimensional and two-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling derived flow properties: impacts on aquatic habitat quality predictions.

Studies of the effects of hydrodynamic model dimensionality on simulated flow properties and derived quantities such as aquatic habitat quality are limited. It is important to close this knowledge gap especially now that entire river networks can be mapped at the microhabitat scale due to the advent of point-cloud techniques. This study compares flow properties, such as depth and velocity, and aquatic habitat quality predicted from pseudo-2D and fully 2D hydrodynamic modeling. The models are supported by high-resolution, point-cloud derived bathymetries, from which close-spaced cross-sections were extracted for the 1D modeling, of three morphologically and hydraulically different river systems. These systems range from small low-gradient meandering pool–riffle to large steep confined plane-bed rivers. We test the effects of 1D and 2D models on predicted hydraulic variables at cross-sections and over the full bathymetry to quantify the differences due to model dimensionality and those from interpolation. Results show that streambed features, whose size is smaller than cross-sectional spacing, chiefly determine the different results of 1D and 2D modeling whereas flow discharge, stream size, morphological complexity and model grid sizes have secondary effects on flow properties and habitat quality for a given species and life stage predicted from 1D and 2D modeling. In general, the differences in hydraulic variables are larger in the bathymetric than in the cross-sectional analysis, which suggests that some errors are introduced from interpolation of spatially disaggregated simulated variables with a 1D model, instead of model dimensionality 1D or 2D. Flow property differences are larger for velocity than for water surface elevation and depth. Differences in weighted usable area (WUA) derived from 1D and 2D modeling are relatively small for low-gradient meandering pool–riffle systems, but the differences in the spatial distribution of microhabitats can be considerable although clusters of same habitat quality are spatially comparable. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Monte Carlo integration in a distributed heterogeneous environment

The potential of distributed processing using existing topologies and processing nodes is explored with a sample Monte Carlo application. It is demonstrated how Monte Carlo algorithms map well onto a heterogeneous topology of processing nodes, operating systems, and communication protocols. Using the Synergy system for distributed processing an application for performing Monte Carlo integration is developed to demonstrate how such techniques exhibit scalability, parallelize naturally, and realize significant speedup over sequential versions. Coordination is asynchronous via tuples, and distributed across a combination of LANs and MANs. Processors are heterogeneous and nondedicated. Results indicate that granularity affects performance and that a significant percentage of potential processing power can be captured. >
Mutations which affect the inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A by simian virus 40 small-t antigen in vitro decrease viral transformation.

Abstract Three independent point mutations within residues 97 to 103 of the simian virus 40-small-t antigen (small-t) greatly reduced the ability of purified small-t to inhibit protein phosphatase 2A in vitro. These mutations affected the interaction of small-t antigen with the protein phosphatase 2A A subunit translated in vitro, and a peptide from the region identified by these mutations released the A subunit from immune complexes. When introduced into virus, the mutations eliminated the ability of small-t to enhance viral transformation of growth-arrested rat F111 cells. In contrast, the mutant small-t antigens were unimpaired in the transactivation of the adenovirus E2 promoter, an activity which was reduced by a double mutation in small-t residues 43 and 45.
The geographic distribution and effect of climate on eclampsia, toxemia of pregnancy, hyperemesis gravidarum, and abruptio placentae

Abstract The geographic distribution of eclampsia, toxemia of pregnancy, hyperemesis gravidarum, and abruptio placentae has been studied. These diseases are peculiar to pregnancy and the incidence should, therefore, be constant throughout the world. Eclampsia, because of its striking symptoms and signs, has been used as the index. Collected data show that the incidence ranges from 0 in many cities to 2.85 per cent in Algiers, Africa, and 7.2 per cent in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mean incidence for the world is 1.0 per cent, for the United States 0.66 per cent, for the British Isles 1.13 per cent, for Europe 0.68 per cent, and for the rest of the world 0.52 per cent. The incidence of eclampsia and meteorologic data for various cities have been studied statistically. There is some correlation, especially for the United States, between eclampsia, a high average temperature, a small range of temperature, and a high measure of rainfall. Our data seem to indicate that eclampsia may and undoubtedly does occur in the native who has had little or no contact with modern civilization. However, the latter with its mental strain and stress, change in diet and habits seems to cause an increase in the occurrence of eclampsia. Our results warrant further investigation of the geographic distribution of these diseases, as a means of, first, determining pertinent factors, second, eliminating or preventing them, and third, determining their relation to the etiology of the disease in question.
Dick Cheney and the Robust Conception of Presidential Power (Book Review of In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir by Dick Cheney)

The memoirs of former Vice President Dick Cheney advance — among other things — his expansive view of executive power. This Book Review discusses Cheney’s those views. It depicts Cheney’s Nixon Administration experience, his time as a member of Congress, and his service as secretary of defense and vice president. In all of his years of public service, Cheney did not become a skeptic of executive power. On the contrary, even as a member of Congress, he sought to safeguard executive power against what he — and others around him — saw as encroachment by Congress. This Book Review also highlights two notable instances in which Cheney, as a member of the Executive Branch, sought to protect presidential power — and one instance in which he worked to preserve the autonomy of the Vice President from the President and his staff.
Considering the roles of affect and culture in the enactment and enjoyment of cruelty

Research on aggression and terror management theory suggests shortcomings in Nell's analysis of cruelty. Hostile aggression and exposure to aggressive cues are not inherently reinforcing, though they may be enjoyed if construed within a meaningful cultural framework. Terror management research suggests that human cruelty stems from the desire to defend one's cultural worldview and to participate in a heroic triumph over evil.
Hölder estimates on CR manifolds with a diagonalizable Levi form

(a) For all E > 0 the operator Cl;’ maps Lip(s, PO) into Lip(s + 2/m E, PO). Here Lip(s, P,) denotes the space of square-integrable forms (of degree (p, q) with 1 G q Otheoperators~,O~l,~~O~l, q ~‘~,,and0~‘~,* map Lip(s, P,) into Lip(s + l/m E, PO). (c) For all E>O the operators 8b8zO;‘, 8z8hO;1, q ;‘a,aa, Cl -’ 8* 8 8 q -’ 8:, and 8$0;’ ab map Lip(s, P,) into Lip(s-&, P,,). Hebre aiag web asm’ acts on forms of type (p, q) with 1~ q 0. (e) Zf f is a square-integrable function on .A? with f E Lip@, P,) then S,(f) E Lip(s E, P,) for all E > 0 where S, is the orthogonal projection on square-integrable CR functions.
Bonding in alkali metal homonuclear diatomics

An analysis of the factors that contribute to the stability of the bond between alkali metal atoms is made by using nonorthogonal configuration interaction. Beyond the orbital size, the overlap of the valence orbitals of one atom with the core orbitals of the other accounts for most of the difference between the hydrogen molecule and the alkali metal diatomics. It is shown that the valence bond description does not provide a satisfactory description in any case except for the hydrogen molecule, and valence electron correlation using the p-type valence orbitals is essential.
Exploring the overall and specific crash severity levels at signalized intersections

Many studies have shown that intersections are among the most dangerous locations of a roadway network. Therefore, there is a need to understand the factors that contribute to injuries at such locations. This paper addresses the different factors that affect crash injury severity at signalized intersections. It also looks into the quality and completeness of the crash data and the effect that incomplete data has on the final results. Data from multiple sources have been cross-checked to ensure the completeness of all crashes including minor crashes that are usually unreported or not coded into crash databases. The ordered probit modeling technique has been adopted in this study to account for the fact that injury levels are naturally ordered variables. The tree-based regression methodology has also been adopted in this study to explore the factors that affect each severity level. The probit model results showed that a combination of crash-specific information and intersection characteristics result in the highest prediction rate of injury level. More specifically, having a divided minor roadway or a higher speed limit on the minor roadway decreased the level of injury while crashes involving a pedestrian/bicyclist and left turn crashes had the highest probability of a more severe crash. Several regression tree models showed a difference in the significant factors that affect the different severity types. Completing the data with minor non injury crashes improved the modeling results and depicted differences when modeling the no injury crashes.
Young Thinkers and Great Achievements

(1949). Young Thinkers and Great Achievements. The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 74, No. 2, pp. 245-271.
Pulmonary intravascular tumor emboli: dilated and beaded peripheral pulmonary arteries at CT.

The diagnosis of pulmonary intravascular tumor emboli is difficult to establish both clinically and on conventional radiographic studies. Between 1985 and 1991, four cases of pulmonary intravascular metastases were demonstrated on computed tomographic (CT) scans from among 14,000 CT scans of the chest. A retrospective study of these cases was performed, including a review of chest radiographs. All four patients had invasive tumors, including an atrial myxoma, a renal cell carcinoma, an osteosarcoma, and a chondrosarcoma of the pelvis. Three cases had histopathologic documentation of pulmonary artery tumor emboli. At CT, all the patients demonstrated multifocal dilatation and beading of peripheral pulmonary arteries, primarily in a subsegmental distribution involving multiple lobes. Ossification of the pulmonary arteries occurred in one case of metastatic osteosarcoma. In two cases, small, peripheral wedge-shaped opacities distal to some abnormal pulmonary arteries suggested pulmonary infarcts. The finding...
Serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype is associated with cortisol responsivity to naloxone challenge.

The serotonergic and opioidergic neurotransmitter systems are critical regulators of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis through their respective excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype has been studied as a marker of HPA axis dysregulation and for predicting risk of psychopathology, with mixed findings. We stimulated the HPA axis with naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, to examine cortisol reactivity based on 5-HTT-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotypes. Healthy community volunteers (N = 78) received intravenous (IV) placebo followed by sequential doses of IV naloxone (50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/kg) every 30 min. Plasma cortisol was measured every 15 min. Participants were genotyped for the long (L) and short (S) alleles of the 5-HTT gene and for rs25531 (A/G) in the 5-HTTLPR repetitive element and compared by the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype (triallele) and by the 5-HTTLPR genotype (biallele) classification. In triallele analyses, individuals with one or more L A alleles showed higher cortisol response to naloxone compared with individuals with no L A alleles. In biallele analyses, less robust effects were found, although individuals with two L alleles showed a higher cortisol response compared with other genotypes. Naloxone blockade leads to a greater activation of the HPA axis among individuals with the L A allele. Including rs25531 in the analysis with the 5-HTTLPR genotype appears more sensitive in detecting genetic differences in naloxone-induced cortisol than when using only the 5-HTTLPR genotype. Future research should investigate the interactive effects between the serotonergic and opioidergic systems on HPA axis dysregulation and psychopathophysiology.