cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
mTOR signaling in mice with dysfunctional cardiac ryanodine receptor ion channel.

Simultaneous substitution of three amino acid residues in the calmodulin binding domain (W3587A/L3591D/F3603A, ADA) of the cardiac ryanodine receptor ion channel (RyR2) impairs calmodulin inhibition of RyR2 and causes cardiac hypertrophy and early death of Ryr2(ADA/ADA) mice. To determine the physiological significance of growth promoting signaling molecules, the protein and phosphorylation levels of Ser/Thr kinase mTOR and upstream and downstream signaling molecules were determined in hearts of wild-type and Ryr2(ADA/ADA) mice. Phosphorylation of mTOR at Ser-2448, and mTOR downstream targets p70S6 kinase at Thr-389, S6 ribosomal protein at Ser-240/244, and 4E-BP1 at Ser-65 were increased. However, there was no increased phosphorylation of mTOR upstream kinases PDK1 at Ser-241, AKT at Thr-308, AMPK at Thr-172, and ERK1/2 at Thr-202/Tyr204. To confirm a role for mTOR signaling in the development of cardiac hypertrophy, rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, was injected into wild-type and mutant mice. Rapamycin decreased mouse heart-to-body weight ratio, improved cardiac performance, and decreased phosphorylation of mTOR and downstream targets p70S6K and S6 in 10-day-old Ryr2(ADA/ADA) mice but did not extend longevity. Taken together, the results link a dysfunctional RyR2 to an altered activity of signaling molecules that regulate cardiac growth and function.
Effect of ascorbic acid intake on nonheme-iron absorption from a complete diet.

Background Ascorbic acid has a pronounced enhancing effect on the absorption of dietary nonheme iron when assessed by feeding single meals to fasting subjects. This contrasts with the negligible effect on iron balance of long-term supplementation with vitamin C. Objective Our goal was to examine the effect of vitamin C on nonheme-iron absorption from a complete diet rather than from single meals. Design Iron absorption from a complete diet was measured during 3 separate dietary periods in 12 subjects by having the subjects ingest a labeled wheat roll with every meal for 5 d. The diet was freely chosen for the first dietary period and was then altered to maximally decrease or increase the dietary intake of vitamin C during the second and third periods. Results There was no significant difference in mean iron absorption among the 3 dietary periods despite a range of mean daily intakes of dietary vitamin C of 51-247 mg/d. When absorption values were adjusted for differences in iron status and the 3 absorption periods were pooled, multiple regression analysis indicated that iron absorption correlated negatively with dietary phosphate (P = 0.0005) and positively with ascorbic acid (P = 0.0069) and animal tissue (P = 0.0285). Conclusions The facilitating effect of vitamin C on iron absorption from a complete diet is far less pronounced than that from single meals. These findings may explain why several prior studies did not show a significant effect on iron status of prolonged supplementation with vitamin C.
A comparison of long-term outcomes of portal versus systemic venous drainage in pancreatic transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pancreas transplantation venous effluent can be drained via the portal vein or the systemic circulation; however, no recommendation exists for the ideal technique. A systematic review of the literature from 1989 through 2014 using PubMed, CINHAL, and Cochrane Library for portal versus systemic venous drainage was undertaken. Only studies on humans and published in English were considered. Measures of glycemic control and total cholesterol were synthesized for meta-analysis utilizing random-effects models. Of 166 articles retrieved, 15 articles were included for meta-analysis. Patient and graft survival were comparable in a large database study as well as in the only randomized control study. No differences in complications were seen when exocrine drainage was enteric for the systemic venous group. Fasting insulin (-34.13 pmol/mL, p < 0.001) was significantly lower within the portal drained group; however, fasting blood glucose levels (-3.4 mg/dL, p = 0.32) and hemoglobin A1C levels (mean difference 0.124%, p = 0.25) were comparable. Total cholesterol levels (-3.62 mg/dL, p = 0.447), as well as other measures of lipids, showed no difference. Based on this systematic review and meta-analysis, there is no evidence of differences in outcomes or metabolic control in patients undergoing pancreatic transplant with portal venous drainage compared to the systemic venous drainage.
Moral distress of critical care nurses

Background Constraint of nurses by healthcare organizations, from actions the nurses believe are appropriate, may lead to moral distress. Objective To present findings on moral distress of critical care nurses, using an investigator-developed instrument. Methods An instrument development design using consensus by three expert judges, test-retest reliability, and factor analysis was used. Study participants (N = 111) were members of a chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, critical care nurses employed in a large medical center, and critical care nurses from a private hospital. A 32-item instrument included items on prolonging life, performing unnecessary tests and treatments, lying to patients, and incompetent or inadequate treatment by physicians. Results Three factors were identified using factor analysis after expert consensus on the items: aggressive care, honesty, and action response. Nurses in the private hospital reported significantly greater moral distress on the aggressive care factor than did nurses in the medical center. Nurses not working in intensive care experienced higher levels of moral distress on the aggressive care factor than did nurses working in intensive care. Of the 111 nurses, 12% had left a nursing position primarily because of moral distress. Conclusions Although the mean scores showed somewhat low levels of moral distress, the range of responses revealed that some nurses experienced high levels of moral distress with the issues. Research is needed on conditions organizations must provide to support the moral integrity of critical care nurses.
Evaluation of Stability, Nature of Modifier, and Short-Term Aging of Modified Binders Using New Tests: LAST, PAT, and Modified RTFO

In a recent survey of users and producers of modified asphalts, stability and short-term aging were two of the main concerns regarding the use of modified asphalts. In an NCHRP project, a concentrated effort was put into development of revised or new testing procedures to better characterize the nature of modified asphalt and to solve some of the difficulties with using existing aging procedures developed for neat asphalts and modified asphalts. Three main procedures have been proposed to complement the existing Superpave procedures: the laboratory asphalt stability test, for measuring the storage stability of asphalt binders; the particulate additive test, for separation of particulate additives; and the modified rolling thin film oven test for short-term aging. The background behind the development of these test methods is explained, and typical data collected for a number of modified asphalts are presented. The results indicate that these tests show high promise in covering characteristics not covered ...
On Approximation of New Optimization Methods for Assessing Network Vulnerability

Assessing network vulnerability before potential disruptive events such as natural disasters or malicious attacks is vital for network planning and risk management. It enables us to seek and safeguard against most destructive scenarios in which the overall network connectivity falls dramatically. Existing vulnerability assessments mainly focus on investigating the inhomogeneous properties of graph elements, node degree for example, however, these measures and the corresponding heuristic solutions can provide neither an accurate evaluation over general network topologies, nor performance guarantees to large scale networks. To this end, in this paper, we investigate a measure called pairwise connectivity and formulate this vulnerability assessment problem as a new graph-theoretical optimization problem called &#946;-disruptor, which aims to discover the set of critical node/edges, whose removal results in the maximum decline of the global pairwise connectivity. Our results consist of the NP-Completeness and inapproximability proof of this problem, an O(log n loglog n) pseudo-approximation algorithm for detecting the set of critical nodes and an O(log^1.5 n) pseudo-approximation algorithm for detecting the set of critical edges. In addition, we devise an efficient heuristic algorithm and validate the performance of the our model and algorithms through extensive simulations.
A Direct Interaction between the RAG2 C Terminus and the Core Histones Is Required for Efficient V(D)J Recombination

V(D)J recombination is a tightly controlled process of somatic recombination whose regulation is mediated in part by chromatin structure. Here, we report that RAG2 binds directly to the core histone proteins. The interaction with histones is observed in developing lymphocytes and within the RAG1/RAG2 recombinase complex in a manner that is dependent on the RAG2 C terminus. Amino acids within the plant homeo domain (PHD)-like domain as well as a conserved acidic stretch of the RAG2 C terminus that is considered to be a linker region are important for this interaction. Point mutations that disrupt the RAG2-histone association inhibit the efficiency of the V(D)J recombination reaction at the endogenous immunoglobulin locus, with the most dramatic effect in the V to DJ(H) rearrangement.
Asymptotic properties of some non-autonomous systems in Banach spaces

Abstract Let X be a reflexive Banach space. We introduce the notion of weakly almost nonexpansive sequences ( x n ) n ⩾ 0 in X , and study their asymptotic behavior by showing that the nonempty weak ω -limit set of the sequence ( x n / n ) n ⩾ 1 always lies on a convex subset of a sphere centered at the origin of radius d = lim n → ∞ ‖ x n / n ‖ . Subsequently we apply our results to study the asymptotic properties of unbounded trajectories for the quasi-autonomous dissipative system d u d t + A u ∋ f , where A is an accretive (possibly multivalued) operator in X × X , and f − f ∞ ∈ L p ( ( 0 , + ∞ ) ; X ) for some f ∞ ∈ X and 1 ⩽ p ∞ . These results extend recent results of J.S. Jung and J.S. Park [J.S. Jung, J.S. Park, Asymptotic behavior of nonexpansive sequences and mean points, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 124 (1996) 475–480], and J.S. Jung, J.S. Park, and E.H. Park [J.S. Jung, J.S. Park, E.H. Park, Asymptotic behaviour of generalized almost nonexpansive sequences and applications, Proc. Nonlinear Funct. Anal. 1 (1996) 65–79], as well as our results cited below containing previous results by several authors.
An energy calibration method for beam analyzer-magnetic spectrograph combinations

Abstract A method of energy calibration for beam analyzer-magnetic spectrograph combinations is described which promises highly accurate results for beam energies equivalent to 20–100 MeV protons.
Feeding Incidence of Stable Flies on Beef Cattle, as Influenced by Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Light

Much knowledge about the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), remains to be gathered before successful control of this pest can be achieved. For example, we need to know some of the habits of the adults, including the way their feeding behavior is affected by various climatological conditions. Simmons (1944) stated that in tests conducted in Sarasota, FL, stable fly adults fed more readily in the early morning and late afternoon than they did at midday. However, since time is only relative, we cannot attribute this varied biting rate to time of day, but instead to the environmental conditions that were prevalent during those hours.
Successful Treatment of Sarcoidosis-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension with Corticosteroids

We report a case of sarcoidosis presenting with cor pulmonale of a greater severity than would be expected from the degree of hypoxia and pulmonary fibrosis. Right heart catheterization revealed that mean pulmonary artery pressure was markedly increased (42 mm Hg), was not reduced by supplemental oxygen, but was reduced significantly (25 mm Hg) after 16 weeks of therapy with corticosteroids. Improvement in symptoms and pulmonary function was maintained for an 18-month period of observation after cessation of corticosteroid therapy. (Chest 1990; 97:500–02)
Studies on the mode of action of calciferol XIX. A 24R-hydroxyl-group can replace the 25-hydroxyl-group of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 for optimal binding to the chick intestinal receptor

Abstract Various 1α-hydroxylated side chain analogs of vitamin D3 have been studied for their ability to compete with 1α,25-dihydroxy[3H]vitamin D3 for binding to the chick intestinal receptor. Of the analogs examined, 1α,24R-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was found to be nearly equivalent to 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in its ability to compete for receptor binding. However, this near equivalence was not shared by its stereoisomer, 1α,24S-dihydroxyvitamin D3, which was only 10% as effective a competitor. It is proposed that the ability of a 24R-hydroxyl group to mimic the 25-hydroxyl group is not due to a lack of side chain specificity on the part of the receptor, but is instead due to the similar orientation of the 25-hydroxyl and the 24R-hydroxyl such that they can be accommodated equivalently by the receptor.
Implications of statistical studies of heats of dissolved hydrogen in metal crack atmosphere

Abstract Quantum and classical gases in the vicinity of a metal crack are put in equilibrium. It is possible to calculate the heat of solution of hydrogen close to the crack with the quantum approximation. Metals which, in the classical treatment, exhibit endothermic heats of solution show high exothermic heats in the quantum region.
Anti-vitamin E activity of isolated soy protein for the chick

Day-old male chicks of two breeds were fed diets providing from 1–5% corn oil and 13 or more mg/kgα-tocopherol. When the source of dietary protein was isolated soy protein, growth depression, exudative diathesis, and encephalomalacia accompanied by mortality occurred. These vitamin E deficiency symptoms were prevented by higher levels ofα-tocopherol (50 mg/kg) or by an antioxidant (ethoxyquin, 0.02% of diet) but were not relieved by selenium in one experiment. In another experiment, with a different supply of isolated soy protein, selenium significantly improved growth while no deficiency symptoms were noted with this soy protein preparation. With casein as the dietary protein, no vitamin E deficiency symptoms developed with 13 mg/kgα-tocopherol. The results point to a vitamin E antagonism that appears to be related to the processing of isolated soy protein and its interaction with corn oil.
Visualizing the Secondary Structure of Tubulin: Three-Dimensional Map at 4 Å

We are in the process of determining the structure of tubulin using electron crystallography of zinc-induced, crystalline sheets. We have now extended the resolution to 4 A, and there are many features in the map that appear to show details of the secondary structure. X-ray crystallographers are well aware of the problems of interpreting maps with such limited resolution, and the additional problem of the missing cone of data inherent in electron crystallography may make interpretation even more difficult. To investigate how reliably these maps can be interpreted, we have calculated density maps of a known structure, actin, under conditions similar to those of the tubulin map. Results of these simulations support the limited interpretations we made previously in the 6.5-A maps and the more extensive interpretations we make here in the 4-A map. Most of the secondary structure of the tubulin dimer can now be identified.
Genetic deficiency of human mast cell a‐tryptase

BACKGROUND Human alpha- and beta-tryptases are proteases secreted by mast cells. Beta (but not alpha) tryptases are implicated in asthma. Genes encoding both types of tryptases cluster on chromosome 16p13.3. OBJECTIVE This study examines the hypothesis, generated from mapping data, that alpha-alleles compete with some beta-alleles at one locus and that an adjacent locus contains beta-alleles exclusively. This hypothesis predicts that beta-alleles outnumber alpha and that some genomes lack alpha genes altogether. METHODS To test this hypothesis, we developed PCR-based techniques to distinguish alpha from beta genes. We then genotyped genomic DNA from individuals and tryptase-expressing cell lines. RESULTS In support of our hypothesis, we find that alpha-tryptase deficiency affects 80/274 (29%) of individuals surveyed. The genotype of the alpha-deficient individuals is betabetabetabeta, due to inheritance of four beta genes. The percentage of the population with the mixed genotypes alphaalphabetabeta and alphabetabetabeta is 21% and 50%, respectively. Accounting for all alpha- and beta-alleles at the tandem loci on 16p13.3, overall alpha-allele frequency is only 0.23, with beta-alleles considerably outnumbering alpha as hypothesized. In samples of defined ethnicity, alpha deficiency affects 45% of Caucasians, but a much lower percentage of other backgrounds, including African-Americans and Asians. Examination of cell lines reveals that HMC-1 and U-937 lack alpha-genes; thus, lack of alpha transcripts in these cells is due to absence of alpha-genes rather than beta-selective transcription. By contrast, alpha-transcribing Mono Mac 6 and KU812 cells contain alpha- and beta-genes. CONCLUSIONS Genetic alpha-tryptase deficiency is common and varies strikingly between ethnic groups. Because beta-tryptases are implicated in allergic disorders, inherited differences in alpha/beta-genotype may affect disease susceptibility, severity and response to tryptase inhibitor therapy.
Interannual variation of carbon fluxes from three contrasting evergreen forests: The role of forest dynamics and climate

Interannual variation of carbon fluxes can be attributed to a number of biotic and abiotic controls that operate at different spatial and temporal scales. Type and frequency of disturbance, forest dynamics, and climate regimes are important sources of variability. Assessing the variability of carbon fluxes from these specific sources can enhance the interpretation of past and current observations. Being able to separate the variability caused by forest dynamics from that induced by climate will also give us the ability to determine if the current observed carbon fluxes are within an expected range or whether the ecosystem is undergoing unexpected change. Sources of interannual variation in ecosystem carbon fluxes from three evergreen ecosystems, a tropical, a temperate coniferous, and a boreal forest, were explored using the simulation model STANDCARB. We identified key processes that introduced variation in annual fluxes, but their relative importance differed among the ecosystems studied. In the tropical site, intrinsic forest dynamics contributed ;30% of the total variation in annual carbon fluxes. In the temperate and boreal sites, where many forest processes occur over longer temporal scales than those at the tropical site, climate controlled more of the variation among annual fluxes. These results suggest that climate-related variability affects the rates of carbon exchange differently among sites. Simulations in which temperature, precipitation, and radiation varied from year to year (based on historical records of climate variation) had less net carbon stores than simulations in which these variables were held constant (based on historical records of monthly average climate), a result caused by the functional relationship between temperature and respiration. This suggests that, under a more variable temperature regime, large respiratory pulses may become more frequent and high enough to cause a reduction in ecosystem carbon stores. Our results also show that the variation of annual carbon fluxes poses an important challenge in our ability to determine whether an ecosystem is a source, a sink, or is neutral in regard to CO2 at longer timescales. In simulations where climate change negatively affected ecosystem carbon stores, there was a 20% chance of committing Type II error, even with 20 years of sequential data.
Outclassing Wikipedia in Open-Domain Information Extraction: Weakly-Supervised Acquisition of Attributes over Conceptual Hierarchies

A set of labeled classes of instances is extracted from text and linked into an existing conceptual hierarchy. Besides a significant increase in the coverage of the class labels assigned to individual instances, the resulting resource of labeled classes is more effective than similar data derived from the manually-created Wikipedia, in the task of attribute extraction over conceptual hierarchies.
Experimental Implementation of Fast Quantum Searching

Using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques with a solution of chloroform molecules we implement Grover's search algorithm for a system with four states. By performing a tomographic reconstruction of the density matrix during the computation good agreement is seen between theory and experiment. This provides the first complete experimental demonstration of loading an initial state into a quantum computer, performing a computation requiring fewer steps than on a classical computer, and then reading out the final state.
Inactivation of Toxins of Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium welchii in vitro by Sulfanilamide.

SummaryToxins from 3 hemolytic strains of Staphylococcus aureus were inactivated by sulfanilamide in vitro. This was demonstrated by the survival of 92% of 630 mice injected intraabdominally with the sulfanilamide-toxin mixture and the death of all 195 controls which received toxin only. The in vivo action of sulfanilamide, administered either before or subsequent to the toxin, was less marked.The toxin of Clostridium welchii was likewise inactivated in vitro by sulfanilamide. Eighty-four per cent of 120 and 86% of 140 mice, injected intraabdominally and intramuscularly, respectively, with the toxin-sulfanilamide mixture survived. In vivo, sulfanilamide protected 83% of 120 mice, when administered after the intraabdominal injection of the toxin, and 90% of 120 mice after intramuscular inoculation. Only 8% of 60 control mice, injected intraabdominally, and 12% of 60 control mice, injected intramuscularly, lived.
Policing the Cold War: The Emergence of New Police Structures in Europe 1946–1953

We have recently been reminded of the existence of a ‘missing dimension’ in national security affairs, namely the whole question of secret intelligence and clandestine operations. It can also be suggested that the question of internal security has traditionally represented another gap, though one that occurs for very different reasons. Traditionally, secret intelligence was often unavailable as a subject for comment or academic study precisely because of its secrecy. Internal security included some areas of sensitive political surveillance that fell into the same category; but continued across the spectrum to regular uniformed police work, a subject apparently too mundane and obvious for inclusion in accounts of political history. Police of all categories belong, it seems, to social rather than political history – the world of ‘history with the politics left out’.
Evolution education in policy and practice: an ethnographic perspective

Evolution education in the US is conducted unevenly, or in cases is absent. Showing the strength of ethnography as a means of deeper explication in science education, this article explores the interactions of policy and practice in evolution education. Discussing vignettes from a larger ethnographic study, Creationist rationales and practices within the classroom are explored, with implications for science education policy and practice.
Sex difference in geographical knowledge: driving experience is not essential

When required to locate places on outline maps, males consistently perform more accurately than females. This sex difference in geographical knowledge has been observed in samples throughout the United States, in all age ranges examined from the second to the 9th decade of life and in samples differing in average education level from high school to postgraduate degrees. Both males and females appear to acquire geographical knowledge during surface travel through the environment. The information acquired during everyday travel is apparently integrated into topographic representations that comprise a cognitive map. This process is less efficient in females probably because they attend to and remember more about landmarks and less about distance and directional cues than do males. To examine the importance of driving experience on the ability to locate places on an outline map of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, adolescents who were too young to drive and older persons with varying amounts of experience traveling in the metropolitan area were studied. In the present study the magnitude of the sex difference in accuracy, though not the absolute level of performance, was similar in groups of people too young to drive and in younger and older drivers. Hence, the sex difference in geographical knowledge cannot be the product of differences in driving that may exist between males and females.
Dermatophytosis in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.

We review the association of concurrent dermatophyte infections in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and add twelve new patients to the seventeen previously reported ones. In sixty patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis studied at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), twelve (20%) also had significant local or diffuse dermatophytosis. A comparison between candidiasis patients with and without dermatophytosis revealed no significant differences in their distribution within the various clinical syndromes of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis nor in the immunologic responses that were tested. Failure to recognize coexistent dermatophytosis in candidiasis patients may lead to unsatisfactory responses to treatment.
An important role for pentose cycle in the synthesis of citrulline and proline from glutamine in porcine enterocytes.

Abstract This study was designed to determine a role of pentose cycle in the provision of NADPH for the synthesis of citrulline and proline from glutamine in porcine enterocytes. Enterocytes from 4-day-old pigs were incubated at 37°C for 0 to 30 min in Krebs–Henseleit bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.4) containing 2 m M glutamine and 5 m M glucose in the presence of 0, 0.1, or 0.25 m M dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a potent inhibitor of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase which is the key regulatory enzyme of pentose cycle. The activity of this cycle was estimated with the use of [1- 14 C]glucose and [6- 14 C]glucose. In some experiments, the medium included 2 m M ornithine and 2 m M NH 4 Cl (no glutamine). About 14% of glucose taken up by enterocytes was metabolized via pentose cycle. The flux from glucose into this cycle was decreased by 70 and 86%, respectively, in the presence of 0.1 and 0.25 m M DHEA compared with its absence. DHEA inhibited the synthesis of ornithine, citrulline, arginine, and proline from glutamine in a concentration-dependent manner, but had no effect on the formation of citrulline and arginine from ornithine. However, DHEA decreased the synthesis of proline from ornithine by 79%. DHEA had no effect on cellular ATP concentrations. These results provide the first line of evidence suggesting that glucose metabolism via pentose cycle plays an important role in providing NADPH for the conversion of glutamine into pyrroline-5-carboxylate in porcine enterocytes, which may explain the glucose-dependent synthesis of citrulline and proline from glutamine in these cells.
Optimal power profile fuel management

Abstract A method has been developed to determine a refueling pattern for light water reactors for the purpose of minimizing the radial power peaking ratio. The key points of this method are (1) the highest reactivity fuel assemblies are always placed into the peripheral region of the reactor, (2) the remainder of the assemblies are divided into two groups based on their neutronic characteristics, and are loaded into the reactor in a checkerboard pattern and (3) a loading priority sequence is generated for each group. To insure uniformity of the fuel distribution, linear programming is used for placement of the assemblies. The method is not limited by dimensional difficulties and is easily adaptable to an individual utility's current practices. Results show that this method is capable of consistently producing a satisfactory loading pattern under various refueling policies.
Narrative review: cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care : Review of the current guidelines

Sudden cardiac death is a major clinical problem, causing 300,000 to 400,000 deaths annually and 63% of all cardiac deaths. Despite the overall decrease in cardiovascular mortality, the proportion of cardiovascular death from sudden cardiac death has remained constant. Survival rates among patients who have out-of-hospital cardiac arrest vary from 5% to 18%, depending on the presenting rhythm. The latest guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiovascular care published by the American Heart Association include substantial changes to the algorithms for basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support. For unwitnessed cardiac arrest, immediate defibrillation of the patient is no longer recommended. Rather, 2 minutes of CPR before defibrillation is now recommended. People in cardiac arrest should no longer receive stacked shocks. The compression-ventilation ratio has been changed from 15:2 to 30:2. This article is a contemporary review of the management of CPR and emergency cardiovascular care. It examines current practice and data supporting use of CPR, along with changes in the management of sudden cardiac death.
SU‐D‐116‐05: Automatic Detection of Ring and Streak Artifacts in Routine CT QC Images

Purpose: To develop an image analysis algorithm for effectively detecting ring and streak artifacts in CT water phantom images to improve the review of a large number of daily QC images. Methods: Daily QC water phantom images were acquired and transferred to a computer server. The images were analyzed using a computer program developed for ring and streak artifact detection. For ring artifact detection, an average HU along circles of different radii is computed. A statistical bias correction accounts for different levels of noise depending on the circle radius. A score is assigned based on the maximum difference of the HU averages between circles. For streak artifact detection, HU averages are computed along parallel lines at different angles. The noise level bias due to different line lengths in the phantom is corrected. Artifacts are scored using the maximum difference between HU averages along all lines. GPU computation is used for real time computation. Scores are accessed via a web interface, where a QC technologist reviews 700–1000 routine daily QC scores sorted by severity and visually inspects the highest scored images. Thresholds of scores can be defined form service actions depending on severity of the artifacts. An email notification is sent automatically when a score is above a threshold value. Results: The program of automatic ring artifact detection has been in use for our daily CT QC of 21 CT scanners for over one year. Visual evaluations of QC images for artifacts confirmed that this automatic system detected ring artifacts and functioned as expected. Streak artifact detection has been implemented more recently and requires validation. This program has also been extended to process large‐phantom images acquired on a weekly basis. Conclusion: Automatically detecting ring and streak artifacts in CT QC images is practically feasible, reduces manpower and provides consistent results.
How Cost-Effective Is Capacity Building in Grassroots Organizations?

ABSTRACT Although capacity building has re-emerged as an important strategy in strengthening the infrastructure of social agencies and nonprofits, evaluations of these efforts are rare. The scope of capacity building is broad and includes education and training, technical assistance, coaching, peer networking and operational support. However, it is not known how well grassroots groups respond to these strategies and if they are cost-effective. This study examines the return on investment for capacity building. Using a sample of 125 grassroots organizations that participated in capacity building events over a five-year period, the multiple regression analysis results indicate that investments in these small nonprofits do make a difference. Participating organizations were more likely to engage in planning, use evaluation strategies, have grant writing knowledge and awareness of opportunities. Cost estimates reveal the level of investment needed for each outcome. The limitations of the study are acknowledge...
Selection of cold tolerant cells of grapes in suspension culture

Abstract Suspension cultures of three cultivars of grape hybrids ( Vitis spp.) were used to select cold tolerant cell lines. The cultured cells were cooled at 2°C/h to various temperatures below the average lethal temperature (LT 50 ) of the cell population. The cold tolerant lines were selected based on the distribution of lethal temperatures in the population. The small fractions of cells which were more cold tolerant than the LT 50 of the population were enriched by a two step selection process. After the first step, the cold tolerant lines of all three cultivars survived −7°C (LT 50 ), whereas the control population survived between −2.5 and −3.2°C. The cells selected −3 and −5°C were tolerant to temperatures as low as −6°C. During the second selection step, the selected lines (LT 50 ; −7 to −7.3°C) were used to isolate and enrich the cell population that survived between −9 and −9.6°C. The increased cold tolerance in selected lines was due to shifts in the frequency and distribution of lethal cell injury in the selected population as compared to the unselected control.
Competition between adiabatic and nonadiabatic pathways in the photodissociation of vibrationally excited ammonia

Vibrationally mediated photodissociation combined with Doppler spectroscopy and time-of-flight detection of H-atoms provides information on the photofragmentation dynamics from selected rovibrational states of A 1 A 2 "-state ammonia. The competition between adiabatic dissociation forming excited-state NH 2 ( 2 A 1 ) + H and nonadiabatic dissociation leading to ground-state NH 2 ( 2 B 1 ) + H products changes drastically for dissociation from different parent levels prepared by double-resonance excitation. The H-atom speed distributions suggest that the nonadiabatic dissociation channel is the major pathway except for dissociation from the antisymmetric N-H stretching (3') parent level, which forms exclusively NH 2 ( 2 A 1 ) + H. The energy disposal depends strongly on the parent state with as little as 2% of the available energy channeled into translational energy for dissociation from the 31 state.
How perfect is the Himalayan arc

The Himalayan plate boundary, because it is entirely subaerial, is both the most dramatic and the most accessible to direct observation of all active convergent boundaries on Earth. The shape of this boundary can be described as a small circle of radius 1696 ± 55 km, centered at long 91.6° ± 1.6°E and lat 42.4° ± 2.1°N for the extent of the arc between long 77.2° and 92.1°E. The pole of this small circle is consistent whether seismicity, topography, or stress state is used to define the position of the tectonic boundary. The defined small circle also coincides with a peak in microseismicity, the maximum horizontal strain rate, and a peak in the vertical velocity field. This quantitative definition of a stable, curved tectonic boundary is a prerequisite to modeling the dynamics of curvature in convergent arcs and applying appropriate boundary conditions to other regional models.
COMPLEMENT ACTIVATION IN BULLOUS SKIN DISEASES

Pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, cicatricial pemphigoid, dermatitis herpetiformis, and herpes gestationis are members of the chronic vesiculobullous skin diseases of man. The complement system, including both the classical and alternative pathways, may be important in the pathogenesis of these diseases. In pemphigus, early complement components (C1, C4, and C2) appear to be activated in addition to later components (C3 and C5), suggestive of classical pathway activation. Participation of properdin in addition to early complement components suggests local activation of both complement pathways in bullous pemphigoid and cicatricial pemphigoid. Herpes gestationis and dermatitis herpetiformis may be bullous skin diseases entirely mediated by the alternate or properdin pathway. The specific immunopathologic findings in these diseases are discussed.
Full costs of dispensing and administering fluorouracil chemotherapy for outpatients: A microcosting study

Abstract Background Although full costs (including direct and indirect costs) that incurred during the process of chemotherapy administration should be measured, many studies estimate only direct labor and medication costs associated with various chemotherapy delivery systems. Objectives To estimate the total costs for dispensing and administration of fluorouracil when administered with leucovorin, by intravenous infusion or bolus, using a microcosting approach from the perspective of a provider or health system. Methods A time-and-motion study was used to measure the time spent by (1) pharmacy staff in the handling, admixture, and dispensing of fluorouracil and (2) patients in the clinic. The study was performed at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey for an 8-month period. Costs of dispensing and administering fluorouracil were calculated per patient visit on the basis of resources used in the processing of fluorouracil and time spent by pharmacy staff and patient. All costs were standardized to 2005 dollars. Results A total of 275 observations were made, and 74 (26.9%) of these were associated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. Pharmacy staff spent an average of 11 minutes for bolus fluorouracil with leucovorin infusion (fluorouracil/LCV-IV) and 8 minutes for bolus fluorouracil with bolus leucovorin (fluorouracil/LCV-B). Patients who received fluorouracil/LCV-IV spent an average of 203 minutes in the clinic, whereas patients who received fluorouracil/LCV-B spent 110 minutes. The average cost of administering fluorouracil/LCV-IV was $933, which comprised drug costs ($279), dispensing costs ($189), and administration costs ($465). The average cost of fluorouracil/LCV-B was $474, which comprised drug costs ($65), dispensing costs ($141), and administration costs ($268). Conclusions This is the first study to formally demonstrate the high cost of administering the injectable form of fluorouracil chemotherapy with leucovorin, despite relatively low drug acquisition cost. Therefore, reimbursement rates for fluorouracil should be calculated in such a way that covers all costs, including overhead costs for the department.
A High-Affinity Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe to Target Bombesin Receptors

Purpose This study aimed to create new optical surgical navigation NIRF probes for prostate and breast cancers.
Sex Differences and Similarities in Video Game Experience, Preferences, and Self-Efficacy: Implications for the Gaming Industry

As computer technology continues to pervade every facet of life, the study of video game playing becomes more relevant. Studies show that sex differences continue to exist between men and women, boys and girls, in video game experience, favoring males. Few studies show any overlap in preferences between young men and women in their video gaming choices. The current study surveyed over 2,000 college undergraduates for video game experience, preferences, and self-efficacy. Although it was found that men play video games more often, have had more experience, and feel more confident in their game playing ability, a moderate female gaming population was found to exist, who also play video games regularly. Almost as many similarities as differences were found between men and women in their gaming preferences. Suggestions and implications for the video game industry are discussed.
Myth and Reality of China's Seventeenth-Century Monetary Crisis

The impact of China's demand for silver on global trade in specie and monetary metals during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries remains poorly understood. Conventional wisdom postulates that seventeenth-century China became so dependent on foreign silver to sustain domestic economic growth that a sharp fall in silver imports in the 1640s led to the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644. This hypothesis rests on dubious theoretical and empirical grounds. The demand for silver in China was determined by long-term changes in indigenous demand for money rather than short-term fluctuations in the flow of silver imports.
Assessment of access blood flow after preemptive angioplasty.

Abstract In an effort to prolong the life of synthetic grafts used for hemodialysis access, current recommendationssuggest regular monitoring of vascular access by means of measurements of access blood flows (ABFs) and/or pressures and prompt referral for prophylactic angiography with angioplasty when appropriate. Previous data suggested that angioplasty transiently reduces venous pressure, but repeated angioplasty is often required. Few data exist on the effect of angioplasty on ABF, especially the durability of the response. In this study, we report our experience with 49 consecutive angioplasties of 32 synthetic polytetrafluoroethylene grafts in which ABF was measured serially preangiography and postangiography using the Transonic hemodialysis monitor (Transonic Inc, Ithaca, NY). The primary indication for angiography was a low graft ABF rate ( Presented in abstract form at the 32nd Meeting of theAmerican Society, of Nephrology Miami Beach, FL, November 1–8, 1999.
Approach to Patients With Suspected Hypersensitivity to Local Anesthetics

Adverse reactions to local anesthetics are relatively common, but true IgE-mediated hypersensitivity is extremely rare. Fortunately, the vast majority of adverse reactions occur via nonimmunologic means, but considerable confusion still exists among providers. We conducted a review of the literature to determine if earlier estimates of IgE-mediated allergy are consistent with current reports and whether current management strategies are consistent with these findings. We identified several confounding variables involved in the evaluation, including the roles of preservatives/additives, epinephrine, latex, and inadequate testing procedures. These problems may cause significant diagnostic challenges for clinicians. It is in fact much more likely that there is an alternate diagnosis, and in many cases clinicians can begin the evaluation in the office. When local anesthetic allergy is still suspected, the patient should be referred to an allergist for testing to determine if the suspected culprit drug can be safely used, or, if necessary, identify a suitable alternative.
Are Managers of Funds of Hedge Funds Good Market Timers

The author gathers evidence about the market-timing skills of fund of funds (FOF) managers during the 1993-2001 period using FOF indices as benchmarks. He uses the Treynor-Mazuy (1966) (TM) and the Henriksson-Merton (1981) (HM) unconditional and conditional market-timing models and follows the methods used by Ferson and Warther (1996) and Ferson and Schadt (1996). By conditioning betas, the author investigates whether FOF managers can in times of changing economic conditions successfully interpret publicly available market information to their benefit using public information variables. He examines FOF returns with public information variables using the TM and HM models.
A taxonomy of discovery services and gap analysis for ultra-large scale systems

Timely discovery of services in ultra-large scale (ULS) systems plays a vital role in critical areas, such as national power grids, homeland security, and health care. This paper develops a taxonomy for classifying discovery services and presents an overview of existing discovery service technologies. It then classifies these discovery services using the taxonomy and performs a gap analysis for discovery services with respect to emerging ULS systems. Our results show that while discovery services are fairly mature and broadly applicable to today's systems much R&D remains to support emerging systems of ultra-large scale effectively.
The Influence of Individual Differences in Perceptual Performance on Pilot Perceptions of Head-Up Display Clutter

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of individual differences in pilot perceptual abilities on their experience of head-up display (HUD) clutter during a simulated instrument approach. Pilot contrast sensitivity, useful field of view (UFOV) and field dependence were assessed using standardized instruments. When these measures were included in a model of perceived clutter based on pilot subjective ratings of HUD configurations in terms of display clarity, contrast, density and similarity of elements, the predictive utility of the model modestly increased. Contrast sensitivity was found to be the most influential perceptual ability, with UFOV also being a predictor of perceived clutter. High contrast sensitivity for higher spatial frequencies was associated with higher ratings of overall clutter, while greater contrast sensitivity for moderate spatial frequencies was associated with lower ratings of clutter. Better performance on the UFOV measure of divided attention ability was associat...
Elkton: A New Potato Variety with Resistance to Internal Heat Necrosis and Hollow Heart and Suitable for Chipping Directly from the Field in the Southern United States

Elkton is a medium to medium-late maturing potato variety with tan netted-skin, round-oval tubers, and white-flesh. Average marketable yields ranged from 76 % to 113 % of Atlantic and average specific gravities ranged from −0.002 to −0.006 less than Atlantic depending on location. Chip color processed directly from the field in southern locations or from storage in the northern locations is equivalent to Atlantic. Elkton is resistant to internal heat necrosis and hollow heart. Color and texture ratings of Elkton following baking, boiling and microwaving have been similar to Atlantic. Elkton is moderately resistant to early blight and Verticillium wilt; moderately susceptible to foliar late blight and susceptible to tuber late blight; moderately susceptible to powdery scab; and, susceptible to potato virus Y and potato virus S. Its reaction to common scab has been inconsistent. Plant Variety Protection has been requested for Elkton.
Structural Study of Inorganic Oxides in a Hybrid Organic−Inorganic Solid Polymer Electrolyte

Polymer−inorganic composite electrolytes very often show superior properties as compared to simple polymer electrolytes, and this enhancement is often ascribed to the structure and interfacial properties of the composite. Here, the structure of aluminosilica (AlSi) domains formed within organic−inorganic solid polymer electrolytes was studied using solid state 29Si and 27Al magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogen sorption experiments following material calcinations, to determine how the composite affects the properties in this class of polymer electrolytes. The major feature of all the calcined AlSi's based on 600 MW poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is the presence of two types of morphologies: nanoparticles with sizes of about 20−60 nm, and larger platelike particles. Increasing the amount of AlSi in the organic−inorganic composite material (OICM) increases the fraction of platelike particles relative to nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are practically nonporous, ...