cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resolution of nonalcoholic steatohepatits after gastric bypass surgery

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been increasingly recognized as a common chronic liver condition. Previous studies have been variable regarding the histological outcomes after rapid weight loss. The aim of this study was to characterize the histopathologic changes in NASH following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery (LRYGBP). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed paired needle liver biopsies taken during and following LRYGBP in 39 patients according to the recent NIH-based NAFLD criteria. Results: The cohort included 33 females and 6 males (range 24-57 years). 23 patients (58.9%) had steatohepatitis, 12 with fatty liver (30.7%), and 4 were normal (10.2%). Follow-up needle liver biopsies were performed at a mean interval of 18 months (range 6-41 months). No significant differences in length or number of portal tracts between the paired biopsies were noted. The mean decrease in weight and BMI was 50.2 kg and 18.2 kg/m 2 , respectively. The initial prevalence of hepatic pathology: steatosis (89.7%), hepatocellular ballooning (58.9%), and centrilobular/perisinusoidal fibrosis (50%) improved significantly after LRYGBP: steatosis (2.9%), ballooning (0%), and centrilobular fibrosis (25%). Mitigation in the lobular inflammation score (2.23±0.63 vs 1.95±0.56, P=0.01) and stage of fibrosis (1.14±1.05 to 0.72±0.97, P=0.002) were also noted. However, no improvements were detected in portal tract inflammation and fibrosis. Conclusions: Over a mean period of 18 months, histological improvements and resolution of NASH occurs after LRYGBP. Long-term studies are warranted to assess for potential changes in the portal regions or relapse of NASH that could result with weight regain or malnutrition.
Relationship between cytotoxicity and DNA damage in mammalian cells treated with anthracenedione derivatives

Summary The effects of two anthracenedione derivatives on in vitro cell survival and DNA of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were investigated. The two drugs studied were 1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis-(2-((2-hydroxyethyl)amino)ethylamino)-9,10-anthracenedione (DHAQ, NSC No. 279836) and 1,4-bis-(2-((2-hydroxyethyl)-amino)ethylamino)-9,10-anthracenedione (HAQ, NSC No. 287513). DHAQ was 100-fold more potent in reducing cell survival than HAQ. DNA strand breaks were assayed by alkaline elution. DHAQ (10 ng/ml) caused more strand breakage than 1000 ng/ml HAQ. This difference correlates well with their differences in ability to kill cells.
Laser-controlled chemical etching of aluminum

A new technique is described for high‐spatial‐resolution (<2‐μm linewidth) etching of Al thin films. The process is based upon moderate local heating by a tightly focused Ar+ laser beam to activate an etching reaction in mixtures of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and potassium dichromate. By chemically biasing the reaction near its passive/active transition, the laser can enhance the reaction rate by more than six orders of magnitude. The etching mechanism has been studied by etch‐rate measurements, ellipsometry, and Auger spectroscopy, and is ascribed to a competition between the formation of soluble aluminum phosphates and insoluble aluminum oxides.
Wetland Loss and Biodiversity Conservation

Abstract: Most species of wetland-dependent organisms live in multiple local populations sustained through occasional migration. Retention of minimum wetland densities in human-dominated landscapes is fundamental to conserving these organisms. An analysis of wetland mosaics was performed for two regions of the northeastern United States to assess the degree to which historical wetland loss alters the metrics of wetland mosaics and to assess potential future effects mediated by differently structured wetland regulations. These analyses indicated that profound reductions in wetland density and proximity are associated with increased human populations and that protections for all wetlands >1 acre (0.4 ha) are likely required to retain wetland densities minimally sufficient to sustain the wetland biota.
Low-dose trabeculoplasty.

We treated 21 eyes (18 patients) with open-angle glaucoma by low-dose laser trabeculoplasty consisting of 25 laser burns spaced over one quadrant (90 degrees) of the trabecular meshwork. After one month these eyes showed an average decrease in intraocular pressure of 6.86 ± 2.95 mm Hg. Sixteen eyes underwent a second treatment consisting of an additional 25 laser burns spaced over a second quadrant of the trabecular meshwork. Intraocular pressure decreased an additional 3.56 ± 2.94 mm Hg in these eyes. Although low-dose trabeculoplasty decreases intraocular pressure by an amount similar to that achieved with standard laser trabeculoplasty treatment protocols, additional study is needed to determine whether complications are reduced and whether the beneficial effect is sustained over a long period of follow-up.
Comparative growth in India and the people’s Republic of China 1950–1988: A reappraisal

Growth records have been employed to argue that authoritarian forms of government are more efficient at achieving economic growth, welfare, and equity than democracies. This assessment is based on imperfect data; World Bank data on rates of growth of GNP in India and China fail to agree with World Bank data on their achievements in terms of per capita GNP. This article, considers the nature of this anomaly and its implications for current assessments of the relative efficiency of these forms of political and economic organization.
Newer versus older treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease with an unpredictable clinical course and several distinct clinical patterns. Recent developments in immunology, molecular biology and genetics have improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of MS. Further, advances in trial methodology, including the availability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a surrogate outcome measure, have led to the identification of several new therapeutic options for relapsing-remitting (RR) MS. These therapies include corticosteroids, recombinant interferon-β-1b (rIFNβ-1b), recombinant interferon-β-1a (rIFNβ-1a) and copolymer-1 (Cop-1).
Passive Q switching of Nd:YAG lasers by use of bulk semiconductors.

We report passive Q switching of Nd:YAG lasers with the use of a bulk InGaAsP film, grown on an InP substrate by liquid-phase epitaxy, as an intracavity saturable absorber. The single Q-switched pulse had a maximum energy of 1.65 mJ with a 20-ns duration. The simple technology is easily extendible to any infrared solid-state laser.
Nonlinear Thermal Vibration Analysis of a Thin Laminated Microstructure

Nonlinear deformation can occur in thin laminated structures due to thermal fields present in the laminates. Thermally induced laminate response in buckling and vibration has been previously studied in nonlinear dynamics by approximations that compromise the total energy of the system. In this paper, this problem is studied based on the nonlinear thermal mechanical analysis of a thin laminated structure using a Galerkin type approach, with total energy conservation. Equation of motion for laminates in orthotropic and isotropic structures in thermal buckling response in a simply supported boundary condition is obtained in a decoupled modal form of the Duffing equation, with consideration of both non-uniform in-plane and transverse temperature variations, in steady state and transient state. Analysis is made for the thermal buckling behavior of an isotropic laminate with respect to the steady-state and transient thermal fields. In particular, chaos and instability due to the transient thermal field are investigated.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Wind-tunnel modelling of the atmospheric surface layer

Modelling of low-rise structures in the boundary-layer wind tunnel requires that the investigator focus on the lowest 100 m of the atmospheric boundary layer; the atmospheric surface layer (ASL). Most of the key flow properties in this lowest portion of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) have been successfully modelled in the wind tunnel for some time. However, this work demonstrates that two additional open-terrain flow properties may also be modelled with the wind tunnel: (i) the vertical distribution of Reynolds shear stress and; (ii) the lateral fluctuations of wind velocity and their power spectra.
Effect of ascorbate and cysteine on the 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced depletion of brain serotonin

The extent of long-term depletion of serotonin (5-HT) produced by 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetmaine (MDMA) was assessd in rats treated with the antioxidants sodium ascorbate or L-cysteine. There was a 30–35% reduction in the striatal concentration of 5-HT 7 days following a single injection of MDMA (20mg/kg, sc). MDMA had no significant effect on striatal concentrations of 5-HT in rats that had been treated with ascorbate (250mg/kg, ip) or cysteine (500mg/kg, ip) 30 min prior to and 5hrs following the administration of MDMA. Treatment with ascorbate or cysteine did not alter the accumulation of MDMA in brain as determined by in vivo microdialysis. Moreover, neither ascorbate nor cysteine altered the stimulation of dopamine release elicited by MDMA. These data are supportive of the view that MDMA-induced toxicity of 5-HT neurons may be related to the production of free radicals and subsequent oxidative damage.
'Mental' in 'Southie': individual, family, and community responses to psychosis in South Boston.

The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients is a deeply cultural as well as political task. It entails the sharing of responsibility for human distress with family and community. Consequently, the locus of social control has also shifted from psychiatric and medical expertise to community and legal institutions. Diagnosis and treatment models must be more compatible with lay explanatory models. This paper explores the various meanings of “going ‘mental’” and “being ‘mental’” in the white, working class, ethnic neighborhood of South Boston. The data are extracted from a study of the impact of deinstitutionalization on a cohort of middle-aged, psychiatric patients discharged from Boston State Hospital in the attempt to return them to community living. Individual, family, and community responses to, and interpretations of, the symptoms of mental distress are discussed. The study indicates that even seriously disturbed individuals are sensitive to cultural meanings and social cues regarding the perception, expression, and content of psychiatric episodes. While madness invariably disenfranchises, it does not necessarily deculturate the individual.
Noninvasive measurement of regional cerebrovascular oxygen saturation in humans using optical spectroscopy

Noninvasive diffuse IR transmission spectroscopy is used to measure the attenuation of hemoglobin in the human cerebrovasculature. Experimental data demonstrating the intracranial, cerebrovascular source of the IR signal is presented. An algorithm to quantify per-cent hemoglobin oxygen saturation in the brain from these transmission spectra is outlined. The spectroscopic cerebrovascular hemoglobin saturation measured correlates well with the best clinical reference measurement of brain hemoglobin saturation (n equals 68, r equals 0.74, s equals 3.5), and IR spectroscopy is more sensitive to reduced brain oxygen than analogue or processed electroencephalography (EEG) data (p < .05).© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Childhood traumatic stress and obesity in women: the intervening effects of PTSD and MDD

In this study, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) were modeled as intervening variables in the relationship between childhood traumatic stress and weight outcomes in civilian women in the United States. Of the 148 participants, 72 had current PTSD, 64 had current MDD, and 32 had neither disorder. In separate single indirect effect models, there were significant indirect effects of both PTSD and depressive symptoms on body mass index and waist-hip ratio. When models included both PTSD and depressive symptoms, an indirect effect of PTSD symptoms was evident in the relationship between childhood traumatic stress and waist-hip ratio. Posttraumatic stress disorder may play a particularly important role in the development of central adiposity.
Diastolic function from tagged MRI and myocardial fibrosis: the Multi-Ethnic study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Author(s): Venkatesh, Bharath; Armstrong, Anderson C; Donekal, Sirisha; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Chia-Ying; Yoneyama, Kihei; Wu, Colin O; Nacif, Marcelo; Gomes, Antoinette S; Hundley, W; Bluemke, David A; Lima, Joao A
Optimization of conditions and cell feeding procedures for alcohol fermentation

Alcohol fermentation was studied with an emphasis on the separation of cell growth and alcohol production stages. Experiments were conducted to establish the optimal conditions for alcohol production in batch fermentations and to simulate continuous fermentations with cell feeding at various stages. It was found that the glucose concentration should be kept under 10% (w/v), and the temperature should be between 40 and 42.5 degrees C for maximum specific alcohol productivity. If the cell concentration is increased, a decrease in specific alcohol productivity is observed. Higher cell concentrations are needed for higher final alcohol concentrations. Among the cell feeding procedures into alcohol production stages, a cocurrent design was found to be better than recycle and countercurrent designs. (30 Refs.)
A flat plate in a rotating, stratified flow

The boundary layer over a flat plate of semi-infinite extent in a stratified and rotating flow grows forward from the trailing edge, and is characterized by an intrinsic length scaleL, which represents the distance from the trailing edge at which vortex stretching becomes just as important in the boundary layer as baroclinic vorticity production. Near the trailing edge, the layer is essentially the layer in a purely stratified flow; far upstream (manyL), it is an Ekman layer. The boundary layer entrains no fluid, but induces at its edge a transverse velocity component which drives an higher-order streamwise outer flow. If the flow is bounded above and below by horizontal planes, the Wiener-Hopf solution for this outer flow indicates that the disturbance decays rapidly downstream, but the transverse velocity component is non-zero far upstream.
Compact incinerator afterburner concept based on vortex combustion

A design concept for a compact incinerator afterburner based on actively controlled vortex combustion was developed and tested at ≈ 5 kW and ≈ 50 kW. Acoustic control of fluid dynamics was used to enhance mixing and increase the DRE (destruction and removal efficiency) for a waste surrogate. A detail study of the concept of utilizing vortex combustion for incineration was undertaken in a small-scale flame using advanced laser diagnostics to elucidate and optimize the fluid dynamic mechanisms. The system was then scaled up by ≈ 10, optimized, and evaluated for performance. The open loop active control methodology is based on the concept of combustion in periodic axisymmetric vortices. Acoustic excitation was, used both to stabilize coherent vortices in the central jet air flow and to control circumferential gaseous fuel and waste injection into the shear layer at the right time during vortex formation. The gaseous-fueled actively controlled 4.5 kW incinerator was able to surpass 99.997% DRE even when the gaseous benzene waste surrogate constituted 66% of the total combustible content and the combustible to total air ratio (o) was 0.974; lowering o below this increased the DRE to beyond our detection limit. The DRE for gaseous benzene exceeded 99.999% in the 50-kW system when combustible to air ratios were kept below 0.78. Parameters found critical to maintenance of high DRE at both energy scales were the fraction of circumferentially entrained air, the entrainment geometry, the forcing levels, and the phase angle of fuel injection with respect to the vortex roll-up. The 50-kW combustor was also evaluated for stack emissions and combustion efficiency. The controller improved combustion efficiency and lowered emissions: CO dropped from 2900 ppm to as low as 2 ppm. Unburned hydrocarbons were also reduced. Under some conditions the controller also reduced NO x levels down to as low as 12 ppm.
In the Region of Babel: Public Bilingual Schooling in the Midwest, 1840s-1880s.

The city was to be "called Babel," according to the book of Genesis, "because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth." Although the Midwest of the nineteenth century had never been "of one language, and of one speech" as the ancient city with the tower to heaven, America's heartland was confounded by linguistic diversity, particularly as more and more immigrants poured into the region after the 1830s.1 Yet, these foreign-language speakers brought with them more than "ax and hoe and rifle," as Mark Twain once wrote of the "poor immigrant" settlers.2 They also brought with them a desire to maintain their linguistic and cultural traditions particularly in the emerging common schools and the area that spanned along and east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon line proved to be an excellent environment for that endeavor. Bilingual education took hold in the Midwestern schools not only because of the enormous amount of foreign-language speakers who settled there making the region a modern Babel but also because it was a developing area when the immigrants arrived, thus allowing them to become "co-founders and partners" in the region's affairs.3
The Comparative Effectiveness of CAI on Collegiate Academic Performance

THIS STUDY COMPARED THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS of college students who were exposed to traditional methodology with those of college students who received traditional methodology supplemented with computer-assisted instruction (CAI). From the 26 conclusions, an overall mean effect size of 0.127 was calculated, indicating that, on the average, college-level students receiving traditional instruction supplemented with CAI attained higher academic achievement than did 55% of those receiving only traditional instruction. The effect sizes were categorized into nine subject areas. The comparative effectiveness of CAI may be seen in the following descending order mean effect sizes: aviation, 0.777; English, 0.612; athletic training, 0.246; education, 0.222; business, 0.210; science, 0.173; reading, 0.082; mathematics, −0.031; and music, −0.428.
Liberal Arts Books on Demand: A Decade of Patron-Driven Collection Development, Part 1

The Purdue University Libraries was an early implementer of purchasing rather than borrowing books requested through interlibrary loan. This pioneering user-initiated acquisitions program, started in January 2000 and called Books on Demand, is managed by the interlibrary loan unit. Now that the program has reached its tenth year, the authors revisit their initial 2002 study to analyze books purchased in the six top subject areas across the whole decade. In their review of the liberal arts titles selected, subject librarians found that the books were appropriate additions and that these titles expanded the cross-disciplinary nature of the collection. The Books on Demand service offers a seamless method for all users, especially graduate students, to provide input into the collection building process.
Emerging Role of α2,6-Sialic Acid as a Negative Regulator of Galectin Binding and Function

Galectins are β-galactoside-binding lectins that regulate diverse cell behaviors, including adhesion, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Galectins can be expressed both intracellularly and extracellularly, and extracellular galectins mediate their effects by associating with cell-surface oligosaccharides. Despite intensive current interest in galectins, strikingly few studies have focused on a key enzyme that acts to inhibit galectin signaling, namely β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal-I). ST6Gal-I adds an α2,6-linked sialic acid to the terminal galactose of N-linked glycans, and this modification blocks galectin binding to β-galactosides. This minireview summarizes the evidence suggesting that ST6Gal-I activity serves as an “off switch” for galectin function.
Clastic Lacustrine Sedimentation in Triassic of Southwestern Colorado: ABSTRACT

Very fine sandstone and mudstone facies of the Upper Triassic Dolores Formation of southwestern Colorado provide evidence for shallow lacustrine deposition coeval with clastic lacustrine systems of the Dockum Group in Texas. Dolores and Dockum lakes had frequent water-level fluctuations; however, Dolores lakes were filled primarily by shoreline sequences, in contrast to the delta-filled Dockum lakes. Typical Dolores shoreline sequences fine upward, are laterally continuous over 3 km, are 5 to 15 m thick, have sharp nonerosional planar bases, and grade upward from very fine sandstones into mudstones. The very fine sandstones contain wavy, 1-cm thick bedding; low-angle trough and planar tabular cross-bedding; and isolated symmetrical channels. The overlying silty mudstones are commonly intensely bioturbated. These fine-grained shoreline deposits suggest that weak longshore currents distributed sand away from distributary mouths, and/or that sediment was transported by flow across the low-gradient, lake-margin plain. Frequent subaerial exposure of these shoreline sequences is documented by abundant desiccation-cracked and rain-textured mudstone drapes, and by well-developed caliche profiles. During low stages of Dolores lakes, distributary channels locally prograded across and sometimes incised into the shoreline sequences. These symmetrical channels, 8 to over 50 m wide, commonly contain basal mudstone-clast/caliche-pebble conglomerates and were abandoned episodically as indicated by alternating beds of very fine sandstone and mudstone. Lake-edge distributary channels contain fillings of wave-reworked, wavy-bedded to rippled very fine sandstone. End_of_Article - Last_Page 904------------
Organic acid (or anion) and organic base (or cation) transport by renal tubules of nonmammalian vertebrates

Organic acids (or anions) and organic bases (or cations) are transported by the renal tubules of nonmammalian vertebrates, but until recently the details of the transport processes have been poorly studied. Work with isolated perfused and nonperfused renal tubules and with membrane vesicles has now begun to supply information on the transepithelial transport processes and the transport steps at the individual cell membranes. The current information is reviewed for organic acids (or anions) as a general group, for urate (which generally appears to be transported by a separate system from that for other organic anions), and for organic bases (or cations) as a general group. Tentative cellular models for the transepithelial transport of each of these general categories of compounds are suggested.
HPJava: data parallel extensions to Java

We outline an extension of Java for programming with distributed arrays. The basic programming style is Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD), but parallel arrays are provided as new language primitives. Further extensions include three distributed control constructs, the most important being a data-parallel loop construct. Communications involving distributed arrays are handled through a standard library of collective operations. Because the underlying programming model is SPMD programming, direct calls to MPI or other communication packages are also allowed in an HPJava program. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aggravation of arrhythmia induced with antiarrhythmic drugs during electrophysiologic testing

There is evidence that antiarrhythmic drugs can worsen ventricular arrhythmias in patients. In a previous study ventricular arrhythmias worsened 11% when noninvasive monitoring and exercise tests were performed to evaluate drug effect. How frequently this complication occurs when patients undergo electrophysiologic studies is not known. Electrophysiologic (EP) tests were carried out in 63 patients who had a history of malignant, sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Monitoring and exercise tests showed low-frequency or nonreproducible ventricular arrhythmia. Criteria for definite drug-induced aggravation of arrhythmia included conversion of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia to a sustained ventricular arrhythmia and provocation of the end point with one extrastimulus when three were required during control. Aggravation was deemed possible when, as compared to a control group, the end point resulted with the use of one less extrastimulus and sustained tachycardia with a more rapid rate was provoked. A total of 216 single drug studies were performed (3.4/patient). In general, definite or possible aggravation occurred in 35 tests (16%). In 28 cases (12.9%) aggravation was categorized as definite, while in 7 cases (3.2%) the induced arrhythmia was deemed as possibly related to the use of the antiarrhythmic drugs. Drug tests with multiple agents caused aggravation of arrhythmia in 19 patients (30%). Therefore, exacerbation of arrhythmia by antiarrhythmic drugs also occurs during electrophysiologic study. The incidence approximates that reported when monitoring and exercise tests are used for evaluating drug efficacy.
Modeling spatial gate length variation in the 0.2μm to 1.15mm separation range

Circuit performance variability is significantly impacted by variations in gate length caused in microlithographic pattern transfer [1]. Previous studies [2] have shown through simulation that by completely reconciling sources of deterministic variation, long-range (millimeter separation scale) spatial correlation in the remaining variation is virtually zero. To complete the model for spatial variation and correlation in critical dimension (CD), a new set of electrical linewidth metrology (ELM) test structures were then designed to target the sub-mm regime [3]. In this work, we report measurement results from those micron-scale ELM test structures. The micron-scale (0.2μm to 1.15mm) variation can be decomposed into a very large chip-to-chip component, a small and systematic density-dependent component, and a small random component; spatial correlation in gate length for the micron-scale regime is negligible.
The Role of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy for Arterial Switch Operations Complicated by Complete Heart Block

Background As mortality in patients with D-loop transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) has decreased after the arterial switch operation (ASO), the focus has shifted to higher risk groups and outcomes that impact long-term morbidity and mortality, such as left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We sought to examine the perioperative factors associated with LV dysfunction in patients with D-TGA and ventricular septal defects (VSD) after ASO. Methods A retrospective study was made of all patients with D-TGA/VSD who underwent ASO/VSD closure from 2001 to 2011. Patients with prematurity, L-looped ventricles, and straddling atrioventricular valves were excluded. The primary endpoint was moderate or severe LV dysfunction measured by echocardiogram 2 months or more after surgery. Results A total of 112 patients underwent ASO/VSD closure at a median age of 5 days. Median time of follow-up was 6.5 months, with no mortality noted. Six patients (8%) were noted to have at least moderate LV dysfunction. Risk factors were heart block requiring pacemaker placement ( p p = 0.04). All 6 patients with heart block had an epicardial lead on the right ventricular free wall; 4 had moderate or severe LV dysfunction and underwent upgrade to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT); median time from initial pacemaker to CRT was 5 months. With a median follow-up of 5 months after CRT, LV function improved to normal (2 patients) or mild dysfunction (2 patients). Conclusions Left ventricular dysfunction after surgical repair for D-TGA/VSD is low, with heart block and pacemaker insertion playing a significant role. The LV function improved after patients were upgraded to a CRT device.
Toward practical encrypted email that supports private, regular-expression searches

In this paper, we develop a protocol to enable private regular-expression searches on encrypted data stored at a $$\mathsf {server}$$server. A novelty of the protocol lies in allowing a user to securely delegate an encrypted search query to a $$\mathsf {proxy}$$proxy, which interacts with the $$\mathsf {server}$$server where the user's data are stored encrypted to produce the search result for the user. The privacy of the query and the data are both provably protected against an arbitrarily malicious $$\mathsf {server}$$server and an honest-but-curious $$\mathsf {proxy}$$proxy under rigorous security definitions. We then detail a series of optimizations to our initial design that achieve an order-of-magnitude performance improvement over the original protocol. We demonstrate the practicality of the resulting protocol through measurements of private regular-expression searches on a real-world email dataset.
New Treatment Strategies for Patients with Hypertension and Insulin Resistance

The metabolic syndrome is characterized by the clustering of insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, older antihypertensive agents such as thiazide diuretics and beta-blockers have potentially adverse effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and may even the exacerbate the metabolic syndrome and increase risk of type 2 diabetes. Recent clinical trials have suggested that antihypertensive agents that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system may reduce risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes, but only a few of these studies were placebo controlled, and in most cases, the absolute antidiabetic effects were relatively modest. Evidence is accumulating that telmisartan, in addition to blocking the angiotensin II type 1 receptor, activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma a well-known target for treatment of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes. By contrast, other angiotensin-receptor blockers are largely devoid of activity on PPAR-gamma. Telmisartan is a partial agonist of PPAR-gamma and has a superior tolerability profile without causing the fluid retention and edema associated with full agonists of PPAR-gamma such as pioglitazone and rosiglitazone. Recent studies have indicated that in addition to antidiabetic properties, PPAR-gamma activators may also provide protection against atherosclerosis and coronary events. Thus, the ability of telmisartan both to activate PPAR-gamma and to block the angiotensin receptor may provide added value not only in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome and prevention of type 2 diabetes but also in prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Intrinsic fiber optic absorption sensor for the detection of volatile organic compounds

A core-based intrinsic fiber optic absorption sensor has been developed for the detection of volatile organic compounds. The sensor can detect organics in aqueous solutions or in the vapor phase without a chemical reaction. The distal ends of transmission and receiving fibers are connected by a small section of an optically clear silicone rubber. The silicone rubber section acts both as a lightpipe and as a selective membrane into which the analyte molecules can diffuse. Absorption spectra obtained in the nearinfrared (NIR) provide qualitative and quantitative information about the analyte. Water, which has strong broadband absorption in aqueous solutions of the NIR, is excluded from the spectra due to the hydrophobic properties of the silicone rubber. In a stirred solution, the sensor reaches equilibrium in approximately 10 minutes. The current limit of detection is 1.0 ppm for TCE in an aqueous solution.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Meanings and Dimensions of Organizational Justice in China: An Inductive Investigation

Taking an inductive approach followed by validation techniques, we analyzed the meaning and dimensionality of the organizational justice construct in the People's Republic of China (China). By using qualitative and quantitative methods, we found that organizational justice involves a higher level of subjectivity in the Chinese context. Interpretation and organizational justice judgments depend on the specific situation and social relations involved. The findings revealed similarities with the Western conceptualization with one important exception, suggesting both cultural values and institutional environment shape justice judgments and managerial practices in China. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings and implications for management theory, research, and practice.
Solubilization and disaggregation of polyglutamine peptides

A method is described for dissolving and disaggregating chemically synthesized polyglutamine peptides. Polyglutamine peptides longer than about Q20 have been reported to be insoluble in water, but dissolution in--and evaporation from--a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and hexafluoroisopropanol converts polyglutamine peptides up to at least Q44 to a form readily soluble in aqueous buffers. This procedure also has a dramatic effect on peptides which appear to be completely soluble in water, by removing traces of aggregate that seed aggregation. The protocol makes possible solution studies-including in vitro aggregation experiments--on polyglutamine peptides with repeat lengths associated with increased risk of Huntington's Disease and other expanded CAG repeat diseases. It may also be useful in conducting reproducible, quantitative aggregation studies on other polypeptides.
Plastic bronchitis arising from solitary influenza B infection: A report of two cases in children ☆

Plastic bronchitis (PB) is characterized by thick, inspissated, tracheobronchial casts. It is classified as either inflammatory or acellular based on the content of the endobronchial casts. PB has never been reported in a healthy child with solitary influenza B infection. This study is a retrospective case series of two children who presented to our institution in acute respiratory distress. Emergency rigid bronchoscopy was performed with extraction of casts from the L mainstem bronchus in both patients. Influenza B was the only isolate identified. In otherwise healthy children with respiratory distress, influenza B-mediated inflammatory PB must be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Ion competition in condensed DNA arrays in the attractive regime.

Physical origin of DNA condensation by multivalent cations remains unsettled. Here, we report quantitative studies of how one DNA-condensing ion (Cobalt3+ Hexammine, or Co3+Hex) and one nonDNA-condensing ion (Mg2+) compete within the interstitial space in spontaneously condensed DNA arrays. As the ion concentrations in the bath solution are systematically varied, the ion contents and DNA-DNA spacings of the DNA arrays are determined by atomic emission spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction, respectively. To gain quantitative insights, we first compare the experimentally determined ion contents with predictions from exact numerical calculations based on nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equations. Such calculations are shown to significantly underestimate the number of Co3+Hex ions, consistent with the deficiencies of nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann approaches in describing multivalent cations. Upon increasing the concentration of Mg2+, the Co3+Hex-condensed DNA array expands and eventually redissolves as a result of ion competition weakening DNA-DNA attraction. Although the DNA-DNA spacing depends on both Mg2+ and Co3+Hex concentrations in the bath solution, it is observed that the spacing is largely determined by a single parameter of the DNA array, the fraction of DNA charges neutralized by Co3+Hex. It is also observed that only ∼20% DNA charge neutralization by Co3+Hex is necessary for spontaneous DNA condensation. We then show that the bath ion conditions can be reduced to one variable with a simplistic ion binding model, which is able to describe the variations of both ion contents and DNA-DNA spacings reasonably well. Finally, we discuss the implications on the nature of interstitial ions and cation-mediated DNA-DNA interactions.
Restriction, de-restriction and mistranslation in missense suppression. Ribosomal discrimination of transfer RNA's.

Abstract The strA ribosomal mutations known to restrict the level of translational ambiguity and the efficiency of nonsense transfer RNA-suppressors, are shown also to restrict the efficiency of missense tRNA-suppressors; the efficiency of wildtype tRNA is not noticeably affected by these strA mutations and the extent by which the suppressor tRNA is restricted is shown to be dependent upon some structural aspect of the suppressor-tRNA molecule other than either the anticodon or the amino acid-accepting specificity. Ribosomal alteration mutants (ram), known to reverse strA restriction of translational ambiguity, are shown to reverse also strA restriction of the efficiency of nonsense and missense tRNA-suppressors. Furthermore, introduction of the ram mutation into missense suppressor strains is shown greatly to increase the amount of mistranslation (a property peculiar to missense suppressors), while it has no significant effect in su− strains. The strA mutation is shown to reverse this ram effect on mistranslation. Presence of streptomycin, known to act on the ribosome, is shown to reverse the effect of strA on restriction and mistranslation in a manner similar and additive to that of the ram mutation. These observations suggest that: (a) the ribosome provides a recognition screen for tRNA's prior to, or simultaneous with, their interaction with messenger RNA; and (b) this postulated ribosomal screen discriminates normal from mutated tRNA.
Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Dry Mill Fuel Ethanol Production

Ethanol fuel production is growing rapidly in the rural Midwest, and this growth presents potential environmental impacts. In 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) entered into enforcement actions with 12 fuel ethanol plants in Minnesota. The enforcement actions uncovered underreported emissions and resulted in consent decrees that required pollution control equipment be installed. A key component of the consent decrees was a requirement to conduct emissions tests for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with the goal of improving the characterization and control of emissions. The conventional VOC stack test method was thought to underquantify total VOC emissions from ethanol plants. A hybrid test method was also developed that involved quantification of individual VOC species. The resulting database of total and speciated VOC emissions from 10 fuel ethanol plants is relatively small, but it is the most extensive to date and has been used to develop and gauge compliance with permit limits and to estimate health risks in Minnesota. Emissions were highly variable among facilities and emissions units. In addition to the variability, the small number of samples and the presence of many values below detection limits complicate the analysis of the data. To account for these issues, a nested bootstrap procedure on the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate means and upper confidence limits. In general, the fermentation scrubbers and fluid bed coolers emitted the largest mass of VOC emissions. Across most facilities and emissions units ethanol was the pollutant emitted at the highest rate. Acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and ethyl acetate were also important emissions from some units. Emissions of total VOCs, ethanol, and some other species appeared to be a function of the beer feed rate, although the relationship was not reliable enough to develop a production rate-based emissions factor.
Interferon α-Mediated Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Provirus Synthesis in T-Cells

Abstract Previously, we have shown that interferon (IFN)-α markedly inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) replication in the CEM-174 lymphocytic cell line during a single replication cycle. In the present study, we demonstrate that the IFN-mediated block of HIV-1 replication is at the level of HIV-1 provirus formation. Using polymerase chain reaction and a set of primers that detects complete or nearly complete proviral DNA, HIV-1 provirus could be found as early as 5 hr after infection in CEM-174 cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes. Pretreatment of cells with 500 U/ml IFN-α resulted in a significant reduction in the relative levels of HIV-1 proviral DNA. The levels of HIV-1 proviral DNA in IFN-α-treated cells were also reduced when primers detecting the early reverse-transcripts were used, indicating that IFN interferes with the initiation of HIV-1 reverse-transcription. The inhibition of provirus formation was also observed in vitro ; addition of cytoplasmic extracts from IFN-treated CEM-174 cells, but not from the control cells, resulted in inhibition of both virion-associated and recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity. These studies implicate that, when used therapeutically, IFN-α should limit the spread of HIV-1 infection.
A fundamental study of Pt impregnation of carbon: Adsorption equilibrium and particle synthesis

Abstract To determine whether the method of “strong electrostatic adsorption” (SEA) can be extended to the preparation of carbon-supported Pt catalysts, a series of carbons of different type (activated, black, and graphitic) with different surface areas and points of zero charge (PZC) has been studied. Cationic Pt tetraammine, [(NH 3 ) 4 Pt] 2+ , was adsorbed over low- and mid-PZC carbons in the high pH range, while anionic hexachloroplatinate (IV), [PtCl 6 ] 2− , was adsorbed over high-PZC carbons in the low pH range. Adsorption equilibrium was determined by measuring pH and metal concentration in the impregnation solution before and after contacting with the carbon supports. Filtered, dried materials were reduced in hydrogen, and the Pt particle size was characterized by Z contrast imaging. Electrostatic adsorption occurs at short contact time (1 h) for both Pt anions and cations. The adsorptive behavior of all carbons of like PZC is the essentially the same, independent of type and surface area. There are pH optima at which electrostatic adsorption is strongest; a sharp maximum occurs for anions in the low pH range at pH 2.9, while the high pH optimum for cations is pH 12. To attain the required final values, pH buffering by the surface, a phenomenon not sufficiently appreciated in the literature, has to be overcome. Particles synthesized by SEA are normally in the 1–2 nm range and are as small as or smaller with narrower size distributions than by other methods, especially at high metal loadings. Results also reveal a longer time scale, reductive mechanism that occurs with Pt(IV) chlorides over carbon at low pH, which mitigates the need for precise pH control if the contact time is long, and might explain the small particle sizes obtained by dry impregnation with the [PtCl 6 ] 2− complex. This mechanism will be more fully explored in future work.
Do the Means Always Justify the Ends, or Do the Ends Sometimes Justify the Means? A Value Protection Model of Justice Reasoning

This study explored whether personal identity concerns relate in important ways to how people decide whether an event is fair or unfair. Because moral mandates are selective expressions of values that are central to people’s sense of personal identity, people should be highly motivated to protect these positions from possible threat. Consistent with predictions based on a value protection model of justice, whether people had a moral mandate on abortion, civil rights, or immigration was completely independent of the perceived procedural fairness of political institutions when those institutions posed no salient threat to these policy concerns. However, strength of moral mandate, and not prethreat judgments of procedural fairness of the Supreme Court or a state referendum, predicted perceived procedural fairness, outcome fairness, decision acceptance, and other indices of moral outrage when either the Supreme Court or a state referendum posed a possible threat to perceivers’ moral mandates.
Control of Epizootics of Gyrodactylus elegans in Golden Shiner Populations

Abstract Under hatchery conditions Gyrodactylus elegans is one of the principal parasites of the golden shiner. It becomes epizootic in the spring at temperatures of 40 to 60° F. It spreads rapidly and causes pronounced mortality. The operational procedure in shiner hatcheries requires both pond and tank treatment. For pond treatment 25 p.p.m. formalin gives excellent control. In tanks 50 p.p.m. for 14 hours gives satisfactory control.
Immunoglobulin-like transcript 3, an inhibitor of T cell activation, is reduced on blood monocytes during multiple sclerosis relapses and is induced by interferon β-1b:

Immunoglobulin-like transcripts (ILTs) are immunoregulatory proteins that either activate or inhibit immune responses. ILT3 is inhibitory and is expressed preferentially by antigen-presenting cells. When its extracellular domain binds to an unidentified ligand of activated T cells, the T cell is silenced. Our objective was to study the expression of ILT3 on circulating monocytes in RRMS. Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed by multicolored flow cytometry. The proportion of ILT3(+)CD14(+) monocytes in blood, and ILT3 levels expressed by them, is lower in untreated multiple sclerosis in relapse than in: (1) untreated multiple sclerosis in remission (p < 0.009); (2) stable interferon beta-treated relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (p < 0.001) and; (3) healthy controls (p < 0.009). Glatiramer acetate-stimulated CD4( +) T cells, co-cultured with freshly isolated monocytes, proliferate significantly better (p = 0.0017 for multiple sclerosis; p = 0.0015 for controls) when T cell interaction with monocyte-expressed ILT3 is blocked by anti-ILT3 antibody. Interferon beta is beneficial in multiple sclerosis; why so remains unclear. Interferon beta-1b markedly increases ILT3 expression in vitro by monocytes from multiple sclerosis patients and controls. These findings identify a putative novel mechanism for the therapeutic benefit bestowed by Interferon beta and a new target for therapeutic intervention in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.