cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Which obese youth are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes? Latent class analysis and comparison with diabetic youth

Greig F, Hyman S, Wallach E, Hildebrandt T, Rapaport R. Which obese youth are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes? Latent class analysis and comparison with diabetic youth. Purpose: Most obese youth screened for diabetes have normal fasting glucose levels. Identification of youth with increased risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) is needed within this large population to guide further management. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed for obese youth, 8–20 yr old, who met American Diabetes Association criteria for screening (OB) or had T2D (D). Measures included body mass index z-score (BMIz) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) by fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and insulin. Statistics compared OB with D and further examined OB by latent class analysis (LCA). Results: Normal FPG was found in 91.5% of all obese youth (OBt n = 94) Comparison of OB with normal FPG (OBng; n = 86) and D (n = 44) was significant for family history of T2D (p = 0.008) without other associations. Evaluation of OBng by LCA showed three classes with increasing BMIz and HOMA-IR. Class 3 (32.5%; BMIz 2.66 ± 0.38; HOMA-IR 6.72 ± 2.29) differed from classes 1 and 2 (p < 0.05), and was associated with family history of T2D. Conclusion: Currently recommended screening of obese youth by FPG is normal in 91.5%, but lacks further information to detect increased risk for youth-onset T2D. Evaluation of obese youth by LCA identified one third (class 3) in whom the combination of higher levels of BMIz, HOMA-IR, and family history suggests the greatest risk for T2D and targets them for further evaluation and intensive preventative management.
Treatment of Mycobacterium avium in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals

Abstract The treatment of disease caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in HIV-infected individuals has undergone considerable evolution over the past 15 years. Agents with known antimycobacterial activity such as rifampin/rifabutin, ethambutol, and clofazimine, as well as others such as amikacin, liposome-encapsulated gentamicin, several of the fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and sparfloxacin), and the new macrolides, azithromycin and clarithromycin, have all been used with varying degrees of success. Of all these agents, the macrolides have clearly had the biggest impact to date on the management of disseminated MAC. Studies of both azithromycin and clarithromycin in short-term monotherapy trials have corroborated their clinical and microbiological efficacy. The risk of drug resistance with monotherapy, however, has prompted investigation of combination regimens for the treatment of MAC. A recent study of a three-drug, clarithromycin-based regimen versus a four-drug regimen without clarithromycin has shown that patients treated with the regimen containing clarithromycin had significantly greater overall symptomatic improvement, more rapid and significant clearing of mycobacteremia, and improved survival. Results from studies of combination regimens with azithromycin should be available soon. Although there is still no "regimen of choice," initial treatment with at least two active agents, one of which should be either azithromycin or clarithromycin, is the currently recommended approach; the majority opinion favors ethambutol as the preferred second agent. Use of adjunctive therapies and more potent antiretroviral regimens may also play a role.
Effect of 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase blockade on porcine hemodynamics during continous infusion of platelet-activating factor

We hypothesized that 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase products might be mediators of cardiopulmonary and systemic vascular effects induced by a 4 h continuous infusion of platelet-activating factor (PAF, 10 ng/kg/min) in anesthetized pigs. Indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor) potentiated and CGS 8515 (5-lipoxygenase inhibitor) attenuated PAF-induced increases in total peripheral resistance (TPR) from 2.5 to 4 h. However, the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor failed to modify pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypertension caused by PAF. Except for a delay in onset (approximately 44 s) and rate of development of pulmonary hypertension during the initial 10 min of PAF infusion, the pulmonary hemodynamic changes were also not attenuated by indomethacin. On the other hand, at 4 h, the PAF-induced pulmonary hypertension and systemic vasoconstriction were completely or partially reversed, respectively, by WEB 2086 (PAF receptor antagonist). The PAF-induced increases in plasma thromboxane B2 (TXB2) were blocked by indomethacin but not by CGS 8515, and at 4 h the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor potentiated the levels of TXB2 in pigs treated with PAF. The plasma concentrations of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) were not modified by PAF or CGS 8515 + PAF. We conclude that PAF-induced increases in TPR (2.5-4 h) are potentiated by indomethacin and are dependent on 5-lipoxygenase products other than LTB4. Although the early pulmonary vascular response (< 10 min) to PAF is dependent on cyclooxygenase products, the sustained response (after 10 min) cannot be explained by either 5-lipoxygenase or cyclooxygenase products but may be mediated directly by PAF receptors.
A new sensor for pneumatic tonometry. Construction and working principle.

A pneumatic tonometer has been described. Particular attention has been paid to the construction and working principle of the sensor, which enables a continuous recording of the intraocular pressure and its variations in both human eyes, and eyes of even conscious animals.
Modified open thoracic rhizotomy for treatment of intractable chest wall pain of malignant etiology

We describe the surgical technique of modified open thoracic rhizotomy for treatment of intractable chest wall pain of malignant etiology. In a series of 14 patients, 9 (64%) had an excellent result, 4 (29%) had a good result, and 1 (7%) had a poor result. Successful palliation was made possible by identification with computed tomographic scan or magnetic resonance imaging of the nerve roots involved. Pain control lasted in most patients until death (median, 22 weeks; range, 6 to 45 weeks). The extrathecal procedure described has certain advantages over intradural transection of nerve roots. Indications for performing this procedure are discussed along with other therapeutic options.
Effect of Jaw Position and Posture on Forced Inspiratory Airflow in Normal Subjects and Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objective This study evaluated whether substantial airflow changes occur by changing both body posture and jaw position in normal subjects and patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Design A case-control design was utilized to assess group differences (OSA vs control) and each subject served as his/her own control subject to assess condition differences (jaw position and body posture changes). Subjects included 16 male patients with OSA (aged 33 to 71 years) whose conditions were diagnosed at the UCLA Sleep Disorders Laboratory with a polysomnographic recording, and 9 male non-OSA subjects (aged 22 to 52 years). The experimental intervention in the study involved alterations in body posture and jaw positioning. Airflow changes were determined using a spirometer that assessed the velocity of airflow during a forced inspiration. Subjects in this study all had the middle portion (25 to 75%) of their maximum forced inspiratory flow (FIF25-75) curve measured in three positions: (1) normal jaw position-upright body posture (N-U); (2) normal jaw position-supine body posture (N-S); and (3) protrusive jaw position-supine body posture (P-S). Setting The study was conducted at the UCLA Dental Clinical Research Center. Results Both groups had a significant decrease in their FIF25-75 upon reclining, and there were no significant group differences regarding the magnitude of this change. Both groups also had a nearly full recovery of their FIF25-75 airflow when their jaws were positioned forward while reclining. Conclusions These data document that when a patient is in a supine position, a 100% protrusive jaw position allows significantly more inspiratory airflow to occur.
Lessons from Hurricane Katrina, tsunamis, and other disasters

Summary: A few weeks ago, Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane, stormed the Gulf coast of the USA, affecting an area as large as the UK. Katrina completely destroyed several communities, leading to the evacuation of millions of individuals. New Orleans, a major American city with a population of half a million inhabitants, was totally devastated and evacuated. This catastrophe follows on from the recent Asian tsunami. The worst, however, is that we knew of the catastrophic consequences of a powerful storm in that area of the USA and what we needed to do to reduce its impact. Last year, a simulation exercise in New Orleans, with a fictitious category 3 hurricane named Pam, predicted the scenario accurately, but funds to prevent the devastation were not allocated. As we impotently watched television, the disaster unfolded. The hospital scenes of combined internal and external disasters already described in Houston (Nates JL. Crit Care Med 2004; 32(3):686-90) repeated, despite the fact that we have learned how to prevent them. The medical centres that were supposed to take care of the sick became overheated traps with no electricity, water, communication, and other vital services; despite knowing the hurricane was approaching, they were unprepared to deal with the consequences of flooding and to evacuate their patients. Local and national leaders underestimated the storm and failed to act in time. In January, the UN took a big step forward in dealing with the prevention, management, recovery, and other critical aspects of disasters by adopting the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005 - 2015 Resolution. This resolution, which was partly based on the Yokohama Strategy and the Johannesburg Plan, addresses the specific gaps in present responses and challenges that disasters pose to communities around the globe. At the same time as organisations such as the Cochrane Collaboration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have groups dedicated to gather evidence-based data to better respond to these contingencies, we wonder what role all these resolutions and knowledge played in the decisions not to repair the New Orleans levees. As we look at the whole picture, it appears that the poor outcome in many of these disasters is not the result of lack of knowledge but rather the result of inaction and poor implementation of the necessary measures to prevent, contain, or mitigate the impact of natural disasters on the populations exposed; this, of course, after discounting the enormity of the catastrophes involved. Memory of previous events in history is short; George Santayana once said, "He who forgets history is destined to repeat it". It seems to us that if we do not react soon with rapid and effective changes to our current emergency responses and leadership, we will knowingly and sadly be repeating history in many more opportunities to come.
Earnings differentials between public, private and joint sectors in Punjab (India)

Using the data collected by the Economic and Statistical Organisation of Government of Punjab under the survey ‘The Working Class Family Income and Expenditure in Punjab, 1975–76’, we estimated the expanded version of the human capital model. On the average public sector workers are paid much higher wages than the private and joint sector workers. In the first part of the article, we have estimated the earnings equation for the workers of public, private and joint sectors separately. In the second part, we have decomposed the difference between the average earnings of public and joint sector workers into two parts ‐ the portion that exists due to the difference in endowments and personal characteristics of the workers of different sectors, and the portion that exists due to the difference in pay structures of different sectors.
FEM Simulation of Laser Forming of Metal Plates

A finite element model is developed for thermo-mechanical analysis of the process of metal plate forming by laser line heating. A rezoning technique is adopted to greatly reduce the simulation time. The effects of the refinement of mesh size on temperature distribution and final distortion are studied. Comparison between numerical and experimental results shows a good agreement in final distortion of the formed plate. Finally, edge effects in the laser forming process are studied.
Differentially private data cubes: optimizing noise sources and consistency

Data cubes play an essential role in data analysis and decision support. In a data cube, data from a fact table is aggregated on subsets of the table's dimensions, forming a collection of smaller tables called cuboids. When the fact table includes sensitive data such as salary or diagnosis, publishing even a subset of its cuboids may compromise individuals' privacy. In this paper, we address this problem using differential privacy (DP), which provides provable privacy guarantees for individuals by adding noise to query answers. We choose an initial subset of cuboids to compute directly from the fact table, injecting DP noise as usual; and then compute the remaining cuboids from the initial set. Given a fixed privacy guarantee, we show that it is NP-hard to choose the initial set of cuboids so that the maximal noise over all published cuboids is minimized, or so that the number of cuboids with noise below a given threshold (precise cuboids) is maximized. We provide an efficient procedure with running time polynomial in the number of cuboids to select the initial set of cuboids, such that the maximal noise in all published cuboids will be within a factor (ln|L| + 1)^2 of the optimal, where |L| is the number of cuboids to be published, or the number of precise cuboids will be within a factor (1 - 1/e) of the optimal. We also show how to enforce consistency in the published cuboids while simultaneously improving their utility (reducing error). In an empirical evaluation on real and synthetic data, we report the amounts of error of different publishing algorithms, and show that our approaches outperform baselines significantly.
On the Time-Invariant Feature of the Frame Collision Probability Under IEEE 802.1lb DCF

The frame collision probability is an important parameter in modeling the performance of the IEEE 802.11b DCF. This probability has long been assumed as a value that is determined by the channel characteristics and is independent to the medium access control. The validity of this assumption has not been scrutinized. In this paper, we modeled the 802.11b DCF by a closed-loop model. In order to make this modeling versatile, the closed-loop model is developed virtually assumption-free. The transient expressions of the collision probability is first derived from the closed- loop model, and then its time-invariant expression is further derived. The time-invariant expression is dependent only on the number of contending stations. The validity of our modeling is demonstrated by comparing the analytical results with the measurement results obtained from simulations. The analytical results closely approximate the measurement results.
Plasma and urinary amino acids in laennec's cirrhosis

Plasma amino acid concentrations and urinary excretion of free amino acids were measured in 7 patients with severe hepatic decompensation (precoma) in Laennec's cirrhosis. Upon maximal improvement these patients served as their own controls. Contrary to earlier reports, the changes were found to be unspectacular. Plasma concentrations of amino acids proved to be remarkably stable. Decreased plasma concentrations of valine, leucine, and isoleucine pointed to a component of steatonecrosis, which was found in liver biopsy specimens and laboratory parameters. The urinary excretion of threonine, serine, asparagine/glutamine, alanine, ethanolamine, and histidine was increased significantly during hepatic decompensation when compared to the excretion values of the same patients at maximal compensation; but even here the changes were within the normal range. General aminoaciduria was observed in 3 cirrhotic patients who had undergone surgical portacaval shunts. It is possible that these changes are a sequence of the surgical procedure.
Efficient Long-Term Degradation Profiling in Time Series for Complex Physical Systems

The long term operation of physical systems inevitably leads to their wearing out, and may cause degradations in performance or the unexpected failure of the entire system. To reduce the possibility of such unanticipated failures, the system must be monitored for tell-tale symptoms of degradation that are suggestive of imminent failure. In this work, we introduce a novel time series analysis technique that allows the decomposition of the time series into trend and fluctuation components, providing the monitoring software with actionable information about the changes of the system's behavior over time. We analyze the underlying problem and formulate it to a Quadratic Programming (QP) problem that can be solved with existing QP-solvers. However, when the profiling resolution is high, as generally required by real-world applications, such a decomposition becomes intractable to general QP-solvers. To speed up the problem solving, we further transform the problem and present a novel QP formulation, Non-negative QP, for the problem and demonstrate a tractable solution that bypasses the use of slow general QP-solvers. We demonstrate our ideas on both synthetic and real datasets, showing that our method allows us to accurately extract the degradation phenomenon of time series. We further demonstrate the generality of our ideas by applying them beyond classic machine prognostics to problems in identifying the influence of news events on currency exchange rates and stock prices. We fully implement our profiling system and deploy it into several physical systems, such as chemical plants and nuclear power plants, and it greatly helps detect the degradation phenomenon, and diagnose the corresponding components.
Aflatoxin is degraded by mycelia from toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of aspergilli grown on different substrates

The ability of 9-day-old mycelia of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 to degrade aflatoxin varied depending on the substrate used to grow the mold. Substrates which allowed substantial mycelial growth yielded mycelia which actively degraded aflatoxin. Substrates which allowed minimal growth of mycelia yielded mycelia with little ability to degrade aflatoxin. Biodegradation of aflatoxin was also strain-dependent. A. parasiticus NRRL 2999 and NRRL 3000 actively degraded aflatoxin, A. flavus NRRL 3353 was less active, and A. flavus NRRL 482 and A. parasiticus NRRL 3315 degraded minimal amounts of aflatoxins. Those aspergilli producing greatest amounts of aflatoxin also degraded aflatoxins most rapidly, whereas those strains which produced minimal amounts of aflatoxin generally degraded aflatoxins less effectively. Substrates which allowed maximum aflatoxin production also yielded mycelia which actively degraded aflatoxins, whereas media which allowed limited production of aflatoxin generally yielded mycelia with minimal ability to degrade the toxin. Although exceptions exist, generally as aflatoxin production increased so did the ability of mycelia to degrade the toxin.
Morphologic characteristics of naturally occurring atherosclerosis in the brachiocephalic artery of the pigeon

Endothelial characteristics and the macrophage foam cell nature of early naturally occurring lesions in the aorta and coronaries of the pigeon have been well characterized. However, the characteristics of pigeon atherosclerosis at other vascular sites have not been extensively studied. The present study was designed to compare atherosclerosis in the brachiocephalic artery with that in the coronaries and aorta. Forty-six White Carneau (WC) pigeons (26 female, 20 male) ranging in age from 2.5 to 7 years were necropsied after fixation under deep anesthesia by perfusion at 160 mm Hg with buffered glutaraldehyde. Arteries stained with Sudan IV for gross evaluation were subsequently processed for SEM and TEM. The occurrence of sudanophilia in the proximal brachiocephalic artery was greater in females (22/26) than in male (2/20). The endothelium, as studied by SEM, was intact over all normal and sudanophilic areas. Cell morphology varied with location in the vessel and gradually changed from polygonally shaped cells with prominent margins and protruding nuclei in the proximal brachiocephalic artery to elongated, flattened cells in distal regions. These regional differences were consistently observed, and did not correlate with age, gender, or areas of lipid accumulation. Unlike lesions in the coronary arteries and at the celiac bifurcation of the aorta, a relative paucity of white blood cells over diffuse sudanophilic areas was observed. This lack of adherent monocytes correlated with lesion ultrastructure. Connective tissue in the intima of the sudanophilic brachiocephalic arteries was disorganized, reflecting both an increase in matrix components and the presence of massive pools of extracellular lipid. Intracellular lipid was minimal and when present was confined to random droplets in the cytoplasm of intimal smooth muscle cells. Monocyte-derived foam cells, characteristic to other vascular beds, were absent from the brachiocephalic artery lesions. These results document differential lesion composition in the WC pigeons and suggest a gender-related susceptibility for brachiocephalic artery atherosclerosis in pigeons.
A MICROSCOPIC MODEL FOR THE BURGERS EQUATION AND LONGEST INCREASING SUBSEQUENCES

We introduce an interacting random process related to Ulam's problem, or finding the limit of the normalized longest increasing subsequence of a random permutation. The process describes the evolution of a configuration of sticks on the sites of the one-dimensional integer lattice. Our main result is a hydrodynamic scaling limit: The empirical stick profile converges to a weak solution of the inviscid Burgers equation under a scaling of lattice space and time. The stick process is also an alternative view of Hammersley's particle system that Aldous and Diaconis used to give a new solution to Ulam's problem. Along the way to the scaling limit we produce another independent solution to this question. The heart of the proof is that individual paths of the stochastic process evolve under a semigroup action which under the scaling turns into the corresponding action for the Burgers equation, known as the Lax formula. In a separate appendix we use the Lax formula to give an existence and uniqueness proof for scalar conservation laws with initial data given by a Radon measure.
An Assessment of Inorganic Ion-Exchange Materials for the Removal of Strontium from Simulated Hanford Tank Wastes

Several inorganic ion-exchange materials were evaluated for the removal of strontium from two simulated Hanford tank wastes (NCAW and 101SY-Cs5) using static batch experiments. Sodium titanium silicate, Na2Ti2O3SiO4·2H2O(NaTS), was the best material in NCAW with a K d of 2.7 × 105 mL/g at a volume-to-mass ratio of 200:1. In the 101SY-Cs5 simulant, strontium extraction was more difficult due to the presence of complexants and consequently K ds were greatly reduced. Sodium nonatitanate, NaTi, performed best in the presence of these complexants and gave a K d of 295 mL/g, though none of the materials performed particularly well. Pellets suitable for column studies were synthesized and the ion exchangers evaluated in column studies. Breakthrough curves correlated well with the K ds obtained from batch experiments with the sodium titanium silicate performing best in NCAW and a pelletized form of sodium nonatitanate performing best in 101SY-Cs5. Both the sodium titanate and the sodium titanosilicate performed b...
THE EXQUISITE GEOMETRIC STRUCTURE OF A CENTRAL LIMIT THEOREM

Universal constructions of univariate and bivariate Gaussian distributions, as transformations of diffuse probability distributions via, respectively, plane- and space-filling fractal interpolating functions and the central limit theorems that they imply, are reviewed. It is illustrated that the construction of the bivariate Gaussian distribution yields exotic kaleidoscopic decompositions of the bell in terms of exquisite geometric structures which include non-trivial crystalline patterns having arbitrary n-fold symmetry, for any n > 2. It is shown that these results also hold when fractal interpolating functions are replaced by a more general class of attractors that are not functions.
Privately querying location-based services with SybilQuery

To usefully query a location-based service, a mobile device must typically present its own location in its query to the server. This may not be acceptable to clients that wish to protect the privacy of their location. This paper presents the design and implementation of SybilQuery, a fully decentralized and autonomous k-anonymization-based scheme to privately query location-based services. SybilQuery is a client-side tool that generates k-1 Sybil queries for each query by the client. The location-based server is presented with a set of k queries and is unable to distinguish between the client's query and the Sybil queries, thereby achieving k-anonymity. We tested our implementation of SybilQuery on real mobility traces of approximately 500 cabs in the San Francisco Bay area. Our experiments show that SybilQuery can efficiently generate Sybil queries and that these queries are indistinguishable from real queries.
a Statistical Simulation Technique for Northern New Jersey Monthly Precipitation

A 30-year record of monthly precipitation for Northern New Jersey was analyzed for its statistical components. With a weak annual periodicity eliminated, the series was found to be random. The data for each month were fit with a gamma distribution using Thom's suggested best estimates of the distribution parameters. A one-thousand-year simulated monthly precipitation series was generated using random values from the twelve gamma distributions. The statistical properties of the simulated and sample time series agreed well. Numerous anomalous precipitation regimes were observed in the simulated data.
Oxidation of methionine 63 and 83 regulates the effect of S100A9 on the migration of neutrophils in vitro

The calcium-binding proteins S100A8 and S100A9 and their heterocomplex calprotectin are abundant cytosolic constituents in human neutrophils, constitutively expressed by mucosal epithelium and in association with inflammation by epidermal keratinocytes. S100A8 and S100A9 are pleiotropic proteins, which partake in the regulation of leukocyte migration. This study was designed to investigate the effect of S100A9 on neutrophil migration and to explore the mechanisms that regulate this effect. Based on previous results with S100A8, we hypothesized that S100A9 repels neutrophils and that oxidation of S100A9 regulates this function. Using standard Transwell chemotaxis assays and site-directed mutagenesis, we show that S100A9 exerts a chemo-repulsive (fugetactic) effect on peripheral neutrophils, an effect abolished by oxidation of S100A9. After substitution of methionine 63 and 83 for alanine, S100A9 maintained its fugetaxis activity, even in inhibitory, oxidative conditions. Together, the data suggest that S100A9 serves as a molecular switch for oxidative control of inflammation regulated by the oxidation of species-conserved methionine residues. In healthy mucosal tissue, expression of S100A9 by the epithelium may serve to inhibit leukocyte recruitment. However, conditions of oxidative stress, including infection and overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens, may abrogate this activity by neutralizing S100A9 as a result of its oxidative alteration.
GnRH Decreases Adiponectin Expression in Pituitary Gonadotropes via the Calcium and PKA Pathways

As endocrinologically active cells, adipocytes are capable of secreting various adipocytokines such as leptin, resistin, and adiponectin to impact metabolic function. Although adipocytes remain to be the primary site of synthesis and secretion, there is now growing evidence that supports the presence of adiponectin and its receptors within the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, providing a possible link between obesity and abnormal reproductive physiology. It has been demonstrated that adiponectin may reduce gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from the hypothalamus as well as modulate gonadal steroid hormone production. Furthermore, prior data indicate that adiponectin may play a role in decreasing luteinizing hormone secretion from pituitary gonadotropes. We aimed to identify the hormonal regulators of adiponectin and its receptors, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, in pituitary gonadotropes using immortalized gonadotropic LβT2 cells and primary rat pituitary cells. Our study shows significant alterations in adiponectin expression across the estrous cycle. In addition, we present a novel finding that GnRH suppresses pituitary adiponectin expression via the calcium and protein kinase A intracellular pathways in both cultured rat primary pituitary cells and the LβT2 gonadotrope cell line. The GnRH did not alter expression of the adiponectin receptors, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, in cultured gonadotropes. Expression of the adiponectin receptors, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, was not altered by GnRH in cell culture but in vivo or in vitro. Our data suggest that gonadotrope function may be modulated by GnRH-mediated changes in adiponectin expression.
A Pharmacognostical Study of the Root of Rauwolfia heterophylla Roem. et Schult

Abstract A description is given of the plant, the physi-cal characteristics, the histology, and the diagnostic microscopic structures noted of the root of Rauwolfia heterophylla Roem. et Schult.
Interleukin-8 alters glomerular heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chain size and charge in rats

We have previously shown that the in vivo infusion of interleukin-8 (IL8) in rats causes albuminuria and an increased catabolism of the heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycans (GAG). The purpose of this study was to characterize further the in vivo effect of IL8 on rat HSGAG. The left renal artery of male rats was continuously infused with IL8 (750 ng/ml, 4 rats) or 1% bovine serum albumin (3 rats) using an osmotic pump. On the 5th day of infusion, 35sulfate (1.0 mCi/100 g) was given intraperitoneally and the rat was killed 8 h later. Glomerular HSGAG was isolated and its size and charge was determined by liquid chromatography. The HSGAG 35sulfate uptake was higher in IL8-treated rats than controls (387±138 vs. 246±15 cpm/1,000 glomeruli, mean ± SD, P<0.05). No differences in HSGAG size were observed between IL8-treated and control animals. However, after ion exchange chromatography, there was a shift to the left in the elution profile of IL8-treated rats, demonstrating the presence of chains with decreased negative charge. IL8 infusion into rats results in a decreased total negative charge of the HSGAG. Because IL8 has been found in the serum of some patients with minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome, this finding may explain, at least in part, the reported reduced glomerular charge barrier observed in these patients.
Duty Cycle and Transport Phenomenon Analysis of Battery Storage System for Hybrid Locomotive Application

The interest for developing hybrid electric locomotives consisting of diesel engine, regenerative braking and battery storage is growing due to increased demand and cost of diesel oil, uncertainty in the steady supply of oil, and increased standards for reduced emissions. Electrical energy is lost from electric locomotives in the form of heat during dynamic braking. Routing this energy using a regenerative braking system into battery stacks can improve the overall efficiency as it can be used later to provide traction force during acceleration.Objective of this study is to perform a feasibility analysis of modes of regenerating the energy developed in the braking and storing the energy in an electric battery storage system for use in railroad locomotive applications. Various road locomotive duty cycles, charge and discharge rates, and environmental conditions have been considered as this is expected to substantially influence the optimal performance and safety of the battery as well as the potential fuel savings that could be realized using a hybrid design. A computational algorithm is developed to determine the amount of energy that can be obtained from regenerative breaking during the run of locomotive and can be stored back into the stack of battery, which can be coupled with diesel engine to save additional consumption of fuel. A combined electrochemical and thermal simulation analysis of several battery configurations using multiphysics simulation code has also been performed in order to understand the thermal management and cooling requirements of the batteries subject to the charging and discharging requirements of a locomotive engine. Such an analysis assists in addressing the key issue of operating the battery at an maximum efficiency level while dissipating any excessive heat generated during the operation, and maintaining the battery at a desired temperature range using a cooling scheme.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Bridging by end-adsorbed triblock copolymers

In this Monte Carlo study, on a cubic lattice, we examine adsorption and bridging by ABA triblock copolymer chains confined between two parallel flat surfaces. The solvent is assumed to be athermal for both blocks and the only relevant energy parameter is eAS, the binding energy between the A segments and the surfaces. We study the role of the binding energy and the end block size (NA) on the fraction of bridging chains. The bridging fraction and the fraction of adsorbing segments both depend explicitly on eAS and NA, and not on the product 2eASNA (which is the maximum available adsorption energy per chain). The dynamic response of the system to step and sinusoidal shear is examined. For NA = 1, the system essentially behaves as a single Maxwell element. As NA increases, the stress relaxation becomes increasingly nonexponential with a pronounced tail (due to a spectrum of relaxation times associated with the transient bridging). As for the storage and loss moduli, the limiting slopes (ω → 0) of log G‘ vs ...
Parents' Perspectives on Personnel Attitudes and Characteristics in Inclusive School Settings: Implications for Teacher Preparation Programs:

The perspectives of 21 parents/caregivers (15 families) were explored through the use of semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews. Their children with disabilities were in inclusive settings...
First Order Actions for Gravitational Systems, Strings and Membranes

We discuss first order actions in general and the construction of first order actions by eliminating Lagrange multipliers in particular. A number of first order actions for gravitational theories are presented. Part of the article reviews first order actions, some of them well-known and some lesser known. New examples of first order actions include Weyl-invariant actions for membranes, with and without rigidity terms, as well as for Abelian and non-Abelian Born-Infeld actions in two dimensions.
Alterations in left ventricular function during therapy of unstable angina pectoris: relationship to clinical outcome.

We studied 30 consecutive patients with unstable angina during pain-free intervals with gated blood pool scintigraphy. The initial study was performed within 18 hours of admission to the coronary care unit. A second study was performed near the time of hospital discharge, after stabilization with medical therapy. Three months thereafter patients were categorized according to their worst anginal status following hospital discharge. Fifteen patients were New York Heart Association functional class I or II (group A); 15 patients were in functional class III or IV (group B). Left ventricular ejection fraction was similar at the time of initial study (55.9 ± 2.18% and 56.0 ± 3.55% for groups A and B respectively). At the time of hospital discharge the ejection fraction had risen to 60.3 ± 1.85% (p < 0.01) in group A and in group B it had fallen to 48.1 ± 3.4% (p < 0.005). End-systolic volume index in group B rose from 37 ml/m2 ± 6.1 to 43 ± 6.2 ml/m2 (p < 0.005) at the time of the follow-up study. There were no significant intergroup differences in the amount of nitrates or beta blockers received by the patients during the two scintigraphic examinations. Eleven group B patients subsequently underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. A significant increase in ejection fraction and a significant decrease in end-systolic volume index were noted when these patients were restudied an average of 3.2 months after surgery. This study suggests that changes in left ventricular function during the course of unstable angina pectoris are common and may be detected by serial gated blood pool scintigraphy. The direction of the change in ejection fraction was associated with the severity of angina in the follow-up period. A fall in ejection fraction and a rise in end-systolic volume index from admission to the time of the follow-up study were associated with an unfavorable clinical outcome and may represent clinically silent ischemic depression of left ventricular function.
Case Study Materials; Strategies for Design and Use

Case materials are excellent teaching tools. They offer variety, complement traditional methods, serve as a bridge between theory and practice, and are particularly useful in learning how to solve problems, and to evaluate and judge. Case materials are problem oriented descriptions of a believable event which provides sufficient detail to allow the readers to analyze the problem/solution process. Three levels of case materials are defined: (a) case problems, which are short “snapshot” depictions of a single incident; (b) case studies, which include information on the background and context of a situation; and (c) referenced case studies, which include citations and author insight. Development steps for case problems and studies are provided. Ways in which these materials can be used for instruction are discussed. Case materials can be used for assessment and testing if care is exercised. A checklist is recommended. Case materials are useful to explore research issues and test tentative hypotheses.
Adrenocortical histochemistry of intact and hypophysectomized goldfish.

Abstract The consistent negative reports dealing with teleost adrenocortical histochemistry were considered to be at variance with the reported physiological activity of this tissue. The histochemical problem was reinvestigated utilizing a total of one hundred twenty-one completely xanthic goldfish ( Carassius auratus L.), of which thirty-five were hypophysectomized. The lipids were visualized by Sudan black B, Nile blue, Oil red O, Baker's acid hematein, and osmium tetroxide; glycogen by carmine and periodic acid-Schiff techniques; ascorbic acid by the acidified silver nitrate techniques. Each histochemical technique and control was first adapted to teleostean tissue by the use of material from intact goldfish. The adrenocortical tissue of intact goldfish showed sudanophilia, osmiophilia, neutral lipids, phospholipids, cholesterol, glycogen, and ascorbic acid. The adrenocortical tissue of the hypophysectomized fish, when compared with normal fish tissue, showed decreased sudanophilia, osmiophilia and phospholipids. Cholesterol and neutral lipids were barely demonstrable, while no detectable gross change occurred in the glycogen and ascorbic acid content of the cells two weeks after hypophysectomy. The findings of the present study indicate that the histochemical reactions of the goldfish adrenocortical tissue are comparable to those of the zona fasciculata and zona reticularis of the mammalian adrenal cortex. The previously reported negative histochemical findings in the case of the teleost adrenal cortical tissue may be ascribed to the failure to adapt the histochemical techniques to teleostean tissues and to account for alterations resulting from the “stress” of the experimental fish.
Platelets in Immune Mediated Glomerular Disease

Platelets are recognized for their role in hemostasis, but may also act as proinflammatory cells capable of releasing vasoactive, chemotactic, proliferative, and proteolytic factors or enzymes. Platelet activation and localization to glomeruli can be demonstrated in numerous experimental and human glomerular diseases, especially in diseases associated with endothelial cell or mesangial cell injury. Proposed roles for platelets in glomerular injury include initiating glomerular thrombosis, facilitating immune complex deposition, modulating hemodynamic changes and mediating glomerulosclerosis. We have recently demonstrated a critical requirement for platelets in neutrophil-mediated glomerulonephritis. The mechanism may involve an augmentation of neutrophil injury by the platelet or platelet products. Platelets also mediate mesangial cell proliferation in immune complex nephritis. The effect involves a platelet-mediated induction of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF-receptor synthesis by the mesangial cell, and is also associated with the acquisition by the mesangial cell of a smooth muscle phenotype. Thus, the platelet has important and diverse roles in glomerular inflammation. Platelets can mediate direct effects, such as in the formation of platelet-fibrin thrombi, but may effect glomerular inflammation indirectly via their ability to interact with neutrophils and glomerular mesangial cells.
Modeling the Interaction with MoLIC

Three languages for interaction modeling were evaluated, comparing their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Exercises questionnaires and interviews were applied.
Introduction to coordination chemistry, by Geoffrey A. Lawrance

Introduction to coordination chemistry, by Geoffrey A. Lawrance, Chichester, UK, Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2010, xiii + 290 pp., $155.00 (hardbound), ISBN: 978-0-470-51930-1 Compared to organic chemistry...
A REVIEW OF INHERENT SAFETY CHARACTERISTICS OF METAL ALLOY SODIUM-COOLED FAST REACTOR FUEL AGAINST POSTULATED ACCIDENTS

Abstract The thermal, mechanical, and neutronic performance of the metal alloy fast reactor fuel design complements the safety advantages of the liquid metal cooling and the pool-type primary system. Together, these features provide large safety margins in both normal operating modes and for a wide range of postulated accidents. In particular, they maximize the measures of safety associated with inherent reactor response to unprotected, double-fault accidents, and to minimize risk to the public and plant investment. High thermal conductivity and high gap conductance play the most significant role in safety advantages of the metallic fuel, resulting in a flatter radial temperature profile within the pin and much lower normal operation and transient temperatures in comparison to oxide fuel. Despite the big difference in melting point, both oxide and metal fuels have a relatively similar margin to melting during postulated accidents. When the metal fuel cladding fails, it typically occurs below the coolant boiling point and the damaged fuel pins remain coolable. Metal fuel is compatible with sodium coolant, eliminating the potential of energetic fuel–coolant reactions and flow blockages. All these, and the low retained heat leading to a longer grace period for operator action, are significant contributing factors to the inherently benign response of metallic fuel to postulated accidents. This paper summarizes the past analytical and experimental results obtained in past sodium-cooled fast reactor safety programs in the United States, and presents an overview of fuel safety performance as observed in laboratory and in-pile tests.
Pivotal Advance: Nonfunctional lung effectors exhibit decreased calcium mobilization associated with reduced expression of ORAI1

CD8(+) T cells play a critical role in the clearance of respiratory pathogens. Thus, it is surprising that functional inactivation of lung effectors has been observed in many models of viral infection. Currently, the molecular defect responsible for the shut-off of function in these cells is unknown. In the present study, we addressed this question using a model of respiratory infection with the paramyxovirus SV5. Nonfunctional cells were found to exhibit decreases in SOCE, resulting in reduced NFAT1 activation. Notably, function could be restored by the provision of increased levels of extracellular calcium. The reduced ability to mobilize calcium was associated with reduced expression of ORAI1, the CRAC channel subunit. These findings reveal a previously unknown mechanism for the negative regulation of function in effector T cells.
Isolation of RNA and protein from guard cells of Nicotiana glauca

Stomatal guard cells are critical for maintenance of plant homeostasis and represent an interesting cell type for studies of leaf cell differentiation and patterning. Here we describe techniques for the isolation of guard cell RNA and protein from blended epidermal peels of Nicotiana glauca. The RNA isolation procedure is a modification of the hot borate method, which is particularly well-suited for recalcitrant tissues. Protein was extracted by disrupting guard cell-enriched epidermis with a French® press. This system offers the following advantages: relatively high yield, low or no contamination by other cell types, fresh tissue as a source of RNA and protein rather than protoplasts, and a plant species that is readily transformable. These techniques will allow for cloning and analysis of genes expressed in guard cells, application of traditional biochemical techniques to guard cell proteins, as well as characterization of genetic manipulation of guard cell function in transgenic plants.
Continuous Improvement Learning for Residents

Physicians must be ready to assume an active role in the design, implementation, and improvement of emerging models of health care delivery. Knowledge and skill in continuous improvement prepare them to engage seriously in the processes of change, on the basis of the same scientific principles they always have relied on in the use of evidence to improve outcomes. This includes include the ability to 1) identify the health needs of the individuals and communities for which they provide health services; 2) assess the impact of current practice with appropriate outcome measures; 3) discover what in the process of health care may be contributing to less than desired outcomes; 4) design and test interventions to change the process of care to improve outcomes; 5) act as an effective member of the interdisciplinary team required to complete these tasks; and 6) consider ethical principles and professional values when making decisions about change in health services delivery. Graduate medical education presents special opportunities and challenges for learning about continuous improvement. Early experiences at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland and Children's Hospital in Boston suggest how we might prepare pediatricians and other physicians to create positive change and continually improve health care.