cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbially Mediated Immobilization of Contaminants Through In Situ Biostimulation: Scale up of EMSP project 55267

The overall goal of the proposed research is to provide an improved understanding and predictive capability of the mechanisms that allow metal-reducing bacteria to be effective in the bioremediation of redox sensitive toxic metals and radionuclides. The study is motivated by the likelihood that subsurface metal-reducing bacteria can be stimulated to effectively alter the redox state of contaminants so that they are immobilized in situ for long time periods. The work described in this proposal will advance the technological and scientific needs associated with the long-term management of the enormous inground inventories of Cr, U, Tc, and Co present at numerous DOE installations throughout the country. The objectives of our project are to (1) develop an improved understanding and predictive capability of the rates and mechanisms controlling microbially mediated reduction of toxic metals and radionuclides in heterogeneous field settings, (2) quantify the impacts of hydrological and geochemical processes on the effectiveness of indigenous microorganisms to transform and immobilize radionuclides and metals in situ, (3) provide an improved understanding of the importance of microbial consortia interactions in the bacterial immobilization of radionuclides and toxic metals, and (4) determine intrinsic bioreduction rate parameters to improve our generic predictive capability of in situmore » microbially mediated metal reduction. This report summarizes 3.5 y of research for a 4.5 y project.« less
The Design of the PROMIS Compiler—Towards Multi-Level Parallelization

Most systems that are under design and likely to be built in the future will employ hierarchical organization with many levels of memory hierarchy and parallelism. In order to efficiently utilize the multiple levels of parallelism available in the target architecture, a parallelizing compiler must orchestrate the interactions of fine-grain and coarse-grain program transformations. This article describes issues of multi-grain parallelization and how they are addressed in the PROMIS compiler design. PROMIS is a multilingual, parallelizing, and retargetable compiler with an integrated frontend and backend operating on a single unified and universal intermediate representation. PROMIS exploits multiple levels of static and dynamic parallelism, ranging from task- and loop-level parallelism to instruction-level parallelism, based on a target architecture description. The frontend and the backend are integrated through a unified internal representation common to the high-level, the low-level, and the instruction-level analyses and transformations.
How to Destroy a Good College: The Misuse of the Corporate Model in Academe

This paper demonstrates how greed, incompetence, and misuse of the so-called corporate/business model are wreaking havoc with academe. College administrators create departments and schools in order to fatten their CVs, not to improve quality. They become more concerned about increasing their income and gaming the system so that they will look good for their next job. Administrative bloat has gotten out of hand so that tuition has to increase dramatically. In addition, salaries for the people at the top continues to increase while salaries for faculty has not kept pace with inflation. The one thing that the corporate model is not being used for is to make colleges more efficient and improving them so that students who graduate become successful.
Effects of offering tropical fruit beverages on fluid intake of older hispanic and non-hispanic residents in a long term care facility

OF THE THESIS EFFECTS OF OFFERING TROPICAL FRUIT BEVERAGES ON FLUID INTAKE OF OLDER HISPANIC AND NON-HISPANIC RESIDENTS IN A LONG TERM CARE FACILITY
Anxiety disorders and marital quality

This study compared perceived marital quality among couples in which neither, one, or both spouses met criteria for an anxiety disorder. Phobic husbands and their wives reported poorer marital quality than did other spouses. Husbands' panic disorders had similar but weaker effects on perceived marital quality, and wives' panic disorders predicted poor perceived marital quality by by husbands. Wives with generalized anxiety disorder perceived their marriages to be less satisfying than did other wives. The effects of husbands' generalized anxiety disorders were strongest in the presence of comorbid depression or alcohol or drug dependence but the effects of husbands' phobias and of panic disorders did not vary with comorbidity. Spouse concordance for phobias was related to more favorable marital reports, but concordance for other anxiety disorders was unrelated to marital quality.
Effects of Environmental Tobacco Smoke on Adult Rat Brain Biochemistry

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been linked to deleterious health effects, particularly pulmonary and cardiac disease; yet, the general public considers ETS benign to brain function in adults. In contrast, epidemiological data have suggested that ETS impacts the brain and potentially modulates neurodegenerative disease. The present study begins to examine yet unknown biochemical effects of ETS on the adult mammalian brain. In the developed animal model, adult male rats were exposed to ETS 3 h a day for 3 weeks. Biochemical data showed altered glial fibrillary acid protein levels as a main treatment effect of ETS, suggestive of reactive astrogliosis. Yet, markers of oxidative and cell stress were unaffected by ETS exposure in the brain regions examined. Increased proteolytic degradation of αII-spectrin by caspase-3 and the dephosphorylation of serine116 on PEA-15 indicated greater apoptotic cell death modulated by the extrinsic pathway in the brains of ETS-exposed animals. Further, β-synuclein was upregulated by ETS, a neuroprotective protein previously reported to exhibit anti-apoptotic and anti-fibrillogenic properties. These findings demonstrate that ETS exposure alters the neuroproteome of the adult rat brain, and suggest modulation of inflammatory and cell death processes.
Effect of five-consecutive-day exposure to an anxiogenic stressor on sleep-wake activity in rats

Repeated exposure to an anxiogenic stressor (AS) is a known environmental factor for the development of depression, yet the progression of sleep-wake (S-W) changes associated with the onset of AS-induced depression (ASID) is not completely understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify these progressive S-W changes by developing ASID in rats, via repeated exposure to an AS, and compare this ASID-associated sleep phenotype with the sleep phenotype of human depression. To achieve this aim, rats were first recorded for a 6-h period of baseline S-W activity without AS. Then, rats were subjected to five days of AS [Day 1: inescapable foot-shock; 5 trials of 3-s foot-shocks (1.0 mA) at 3-min intervals; Days 3-5: 15 trials of 5-s foot-shocks at 45-s intervals]. S-W activity was recorded for 6 h immediately after each AS treatment session. Two days later rats were again recorded for 6 h of S-W activity, but with no exposure to the AS (NASD). Compared to the baseline day: Day 1 of AS (ASD-1) increased wakefulness, slow-wave sleep (SWS) latency, and REM sleep latency, but decreased the total amount of REM sleep; ASD-2 animals remained awake throughout the 6-h S-W recording period; ASD-3, ASD-4, and ASD-5 (ASDs-3-5) decreased wakefulness, SWS latency, and REM sleep latency, but increased the total amount of REM sleep. Interestingly, these results reveal that initial exposure to the AS versus later, repeated exposure to the AS produced opposing S-W changes. On NASD, animals exhibited baseline-like S-W activity, except slightly less REM sleep. These results suggest that repeated AS produces a sleep phenotype that resembles the sleep phenotype of depression in humans, but consistent re-exposure to the AS is required. These results are promising because the methodological simplicity and reversibility of the ASID-associated S-W phenotype could be more advantageous than other animal models for studying the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie the expression of ASID.
Geriatric Oral Health and Its Impact on Eating

OBJECTIVE: Adequate food and fluid intake and nutritional health are requisites for sustaining life. The oral-pharyngeal region has evolved multiple, highly regulated processes to ensure that the intake, chewing, and swallowing of foods and beverages is maintained. The objective of this paper is to identify the independent and collective roles of oral health on eating in older people. DESIGN: Research reports from peer-reviewed scientific journals. Hypothesis-driven research that objectively examined taste, smell, dental and oral mucosal health, dental prostheses, chewing, and swallowing in the context of aging. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data results were extracted independently by multiple observers. A qualitative synthesis of data results from independent studies was made in order to form conclusions regarding the role of oral health on eating in older people. CONCLUSIONS: Many oral functions remain intact in healthy older adults. However, significant alterations arise from oral and systemic diseases and their treatments, and these may have a profound effect on eating, drinking, and the nutritional status of older individuals. The care of older persons with smell, taste, dental/alveolar, oral mucosal, chewing, and swallowing problems requires a multidisciplinary team of health care providers. Recognition of the interrelationship between oral, pharyngeal, and systemic physiological processes will help practitioners identify the etiology of these disorders and implement appropriate therapy. J Am Geriatr Soc 44:456–464, 1996.
Self-Reported Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake among College Students

Objective: To characterize sugar-sweetened beverage intake of college students. Research Methods and Procedures: Undergraduates in an urban southern community campus were surveyed anonymously about sugared beverage consumption (soda, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, sweet ice tea) in the past month. Results: Two hundred sixty-five undergraduates responded (66% women, 46% minority, 100% of volunteers solicited). Most students (95%) reported sugared beverage intake in the past month, and 65% reported daily intake. Men were more likely than women to report daily intake (74% vs. 61%, p = 0.035). Soda was the most common sugar-sweetened beverage. Black undergraduates reported higher sugared beverage intake than whites (p = 0.02), with 91% of blacks reporting sugar-sweetened fruit drink intake in the past month and 50% reporting daily consumption. Mean estimated caloric intake from combined types of sugar-sweetened beverages was significantly higher among black students than whites, 796 ± 941 vs. 397 ± 396 kcal/d (p = 0.0003); the primary source of sugar-sweetened beverage calories among blacks was sugared fruit drinks (556 ± 918 kcal/d). Younger undergraduates reported significantly higher intake than older students (p = 0.025). Discussion: Self-reported sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among undergraduates is substantial and likely contributes considerable non-nutritive calories, which may contribute to weight gain. Black undergraduates may be particularly vulnerable due to higher sugared beverage intake. Obesity prevention interventions targeting reductions in sugar-sweetened beverages in this population merit consideration.
Fatty liver in experimental protein-energy malnutrition in the rat.

Abstract Twenty-eight-day old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 2, 5, 10, 15, 25, or 50% protein and varying levels of fat and energy for 8 weeks and were then killed. The livers of rats fed the 2% lactalbumin protein diet ad libitum but not the others showed visible fat. This difference was confirmed histologically. Chemical analyses of the livers indicated that the rats fed the 2% protein diets ad libitum had experienced a substantial reduction in liver cell size but only a very slight reduction in the lipid content of each cell. As a consequence, their livers showed a net increase in the amount of lipid per g of tissue and this gave them a fatty appearance. The lipids formed large fat globules suspended in a greatly reduced amount of protoplasm; there were no fat globules outside the cells. Therefore, the fatty liver of protein deficiency was a physical phenomenon rather than a metabolic defect. Rats fed the 2% protein diets in restricted amounts also had shrunken cells but they did not manifest fatty liver because there was a relatively greater reduction in liver cell lipid than in liver cell size. There was a reduced amount of protein in the livers of rats fed 2 and 5% protein diets which can be explained by a reduction in liver RNA and in Protein/RNA ratio. Protein/RNA ratio was enhanced by starvation. Liver protein content showed a biphasic response to variation in dietary fat level with its lowest value in rats fed diets containing 11.9% fat.
Induction of thyroid gene expression and radioiodine uptake in thyroid cancer cells by targeting major signaling pathways

Context: Radioiodine ablation is commonly used to treat thyroid cancer, but a major challenge is often the loss of radioiodine avidity of the cancer caused by aberrant silencing of iodide-handling genes. Objectives: This study was conducted to test the therapeutic potential of targeting the aberrantly activated MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways and histone deacetylase to restore radioiodine avidity in thyroid cancer cells. Experimental Design: We tested the effects of specific inhibitors targeting these pathways/molecules that had established clinical applicability, including the MAPK kinase inhibitor RDEA119, mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus, Akt inhibitor perifosine, and histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA, individually or in combinations, on the expression of iodide-handling genes and radioiodide uptake in a large panel of thyroid cancer cell lines. Results: The expression of a large number of iodide-handling genes could be restored, particularly the sodium/iodide symporter, TSH receptor, and thyroperoxidase, by treating cells with these inhibitors. The effect was particularly robust and synergistic when combinations of inhibitors containing SAHA were used. Robust expression of sodium/iodide symporter in the cell membrane, which plays the most important role in iodide uptake in thyroid cells, was confirmed by immunofluorescent microscopy. Radioiodide uptake by cells was correspondingly induced under these conditions. Thyroid gene expression and radioiodide uptake could both be further enhanced by TSH. Conclusions: Targeting major signaling pathways could restore thyroid gene expression and radioiodide uptake in thyroid cancer cells. Further studies are warranted to test this therapeutic potential in restoring radioiodine avidity of thyroid cancer cells for effective ablation treatment.
Understanding the barriers to physician error reporting and disclosure: a systemic approach to a systemic problem.

IntroductionThe issues of medical errors and medical malpractice have stimulated significant interest in establishing transparency in health care, in other words, ensuring that medical professionals formally report medical errors and disclose related outcomes to patients and families. However, resea
Electron-Transfer Reactions of Electronically Excited Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin with Multinuclear Ruthenium Complexes.

Transient absorption decay rate constants (k_(obs)) for reactions of electronically excited zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (^3ZnTPP*) with triruthenium oxo-centered acetate-bridged clusters [Ru_3(μ_3-O)(μ-CH_3CO_2)_6(CO)(L)]_2(μ-pz), where pz = pyrazine and L = 4-cyanopyridine (cpy) (1), pyridine (py) (2), or 4-dimethylaminopyridine (dmap) (3), were obtained from nanosecond flash-quench spectroscopic data (quenching constants, k_q, for ^3ZnTPP*/1–3 are 3.0 × 10^9, 1.5 × 10^9, and 1.1 × 10^9 M^(–1) s^(–1), respectively). Values of k_q for reactions of ^3ZnTPP* with 1–3 and Ru_3(μ_3-O)(μ-CH_3CO_2)_6(CO)(L)_2 [L = cpy (4), py (5), dmap (6)] monomeric analogues suggest that photoinduced electron transfer is the main pathway of excited-state decay; this mechanistic proposal is consistent with results from a photolysis control experiment, where growth of characteristic near-IR absorption bands attributable to reduced (mixed-valence) Ru_3O-cluster products were observed.
Respiratory Variation Predicts Optimal Endotracheal Tube Placement for Intra-operative Nerve Monitoring in Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery

Intra-operative nerve monitoring (IONM) of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroid and parathyroid surgery is thought to aid in identification and dissection of the RLN. While utilization of IONM is increasing, one area of variability in its application is the assessment of adequate endotracheal tube electrode placement for IONM during the case. The main objective of this study is to assess the overall success of utilizing respiratory variation to confirm proper endotracheal tube placement for RLN monitoring. A prospective study of RLN monitoring during thyroid and parathyroid surgery at an academic referral center. Fifty-five cases were included. Fifty (91 %) achieved optimal respiratory variation during endotracheal tube position. Five (9 %) required repeat laryngoscopy to confirm correct endotracheal tube placement following patient positioning. For the respiratory variation group, average amplitude achieved during initial vagus, maximum vagus, initial RLN, and maximal RLN was 700 (±474) mA, 921 (±616) mA, 887 (±584) mA, and 1330 (±843) mA during evoked stimulation, respectively. For the repeat laryngoscopy group, average amplitude achieved during initial vagus, maximum vagus, initial RLN, and maximal RLN evoked stimulation was 591 (±364) mA, 959 (±306) mA, 771 (±424) mA, and 1462 (±855) mA during evoked stimulation, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the two groups for average initial vagus amplitude (p = 0.62), average maximum vagus amplitude (p = 0.89), average initial RLN amplitude (p = 0.67), or average maximum RLN amplitude (p = 0.74). The findings of this study support the International Neural Monitoring Study Group recommendation that confirmation of endotracheal tube electrode placement be performed either by confirmation of adequate respiratory variation or by repeat direct laryngoscopy.
Resistivity Evolution with Temperature of 7050 Aluminium Alloy in Different Casting Methods

The resistivity-temperature curve of 7050 aluminum alloy prepared in different casting methods (DC and LFEC) has been measured with D.C. four-probe method. By analyzing the curve, it was found that a change occurred to the slope at 250°C when the samples were heated, and the resistivity of LFEC sample changed with temperature more quickly than that of DC. Both the solidus and liquidus temperatures of LFEC samples were higher than those of DC samples during the process from room temperature to 900°C. However, the resistivity of DC samples increased remarkably while the temperature was kept at 900°C, and even before it was decreased to 600°C. With the microstructure observation, the characteristics and phenomenon of the resistivity evolution with temperature were studied.
A Stargardt disease-3 mutation in the mouse Elovl4 gene causes retinal deficiency of C32-C36 acyl phosphatidylcholines

Stargardt disease-3 (STGD3) is a juvenile dominant macular degeneration caused by mutations in elongase of very long chain fatty acid-4. All identified mutations produce a truncated protein which lacks a motif for protein retention in endoplasmic reticulum, the site of fatty acid synthesis. In these studies of Stgd3-knockin mice carrying a human pathogenic mutation, we examined two potential pathogenic mechanisms: truncated protein-induced cellular stress and lipid product deficiency. Analysis of mutant retinas detected no cellular stress but demonstrated selective deficiency of C32-C36 acyl phosphatidylcholines. We conclude that this deficit leads to the human STGD3 pathology.
Front-End Topologies for Phased Array Radiometry

There is interest in developing phased array radiometers for space based applications. The limitations and the optimum topology for beam forming networks in radiometric systems, however, are not well understood. In this work, two phased array total power radiometer front end topologies are compared in terms of gain and noise temperature stability. It is shown that a phased array radiometer topology incorporating amplifiers at each branch reduces the front-end gain and noise figure fluctuation. The dependence of the front-end gain fluctuation on the number of the elements in the array, N, is shown to be ?G/G ? 1/?N. Thus, it is demonstrated that the gain fluctuation contribution of the front-end is reduced as the array size gets larger. This results in a larger maximum usable calibration interval under the condition that the gain variation effects not dominate radiometer ?T. Such a system also has a lower noise temperature by virtue of the frontend amplification. This work indicates that total power phased array radiometers have significant potential for space based applications.
The Monument as Manifesto: The Pierre Charles L'Enfant Memorial, 1909-1911

The celebrated plans of Washington, D.C., are canonical works in American planning history. The design of the tomb for Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the author of the city's original plan, however, has not received similar attention. Disguising twentieth-century advocacy as nineteenth-century homage, L'Enfant's belated commemorators shaped the memorial as propaganda supporting their quest to imprint the McMillan Plan on L'Enfant's city. The intimate connection between monument making and planning history has remained previously unrecognized by historians because the tomb's principal designers so carefully concealed their involvement. This article not only probes the authorship of the memorial and the deployment of public art to support professional ambitions but also sheds new light on the birth of the planning profession.
The Uwekahuna Ash Member of the Puna Basalt: product of violent phreatomagmatic eruptions at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, between 2800 and 210014C years ago

Abstract Kilauea volcano's reputation for relatively gentle effusive eruptions belies a violent geologic past, including several large phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions that are recorded by Holocene pyroclastic deposits which mantle Kilauea's summit area and the southeast flank of adjacent Mauna Loa volcano. The most widespread of these deposits whose original distribution can be reconstructed is the Uwekahuna Ash Member of the Puna Basalt, a basaltic surge and fall deposit emplaced during two or more eruptive episodes separated by a few decades to several centuries. The first episode occurred between 2770 ± 70 and 2265 ± 50 14 C yr ago. It included two major pyroclastic surges, each preceded by unusually vigorous lava fountaining from a vent near the volcano's summit. Before the second eruptive episode, 2110 ± 120 14 C yr ago, plants had re-colonized the rainforest environment northeast of the summit, and at least two lava flows from Mauna Loa had buried parts of the first-episode deposits. The second episode also began with vigorous lava fountaining, followed by widespread lithic ashfall, a third major surge and finally a fourth fountaining event. Before the final pumice deposit could be significantly reworked, it was partly buried by picritic basalt flows that are unusual in Kilauea's summit area. In proximal areas, the Uwekahuna Ash Member is more than 1 m thick (locally > 5 m) and includes lithic blocks up to 0.8 m in diameter. Coarse, primarily lithic debris was deposited around the vent by laterally expanding surges; fallout deposits accumulated preferentially to the northeast under the influence of high-altitude counter-tradewinds. The area devastated by surges and originally buried by at least 15 cm of the Uwekahuna was about 420 km 2 . The bulk volume of the deposits was approximately 0.3 km 3 , including less than 0.1 km 3 of juvenile material. Juvenile constituents are olivine-tholeiitic basalts similar in major-element composition to typical Kilauea summit lava flows, but variations in both major elements and trace elements suggest that the eruptions tapped more than a single, uniform source region. We infer that the eruptions which produced the Uwekahuna were driven by water interacting with a fluctuating magma column. Magma withdrawal episodes may have been accompanied by large-volume submarine effusive eruptions and by summit collapse. The volume, extent and character of the Uwekahuna deposits underscore the hazards posed by relatively infrequent but potentially devastating explosive eruptions at Kilauea, as well as at other basaltic volcanoes.
Spectrum inversion without a difference in representation is impossible

Even if spectrum inversion of various sorts is possible, spectrum inversion without a difference in representation is not. So spectrum inversion does not pose a challenge for the intentionalist thesis that, necessarily, within a given sense modality, if two experiences are alike with respect to content, they are also alike with respect to their phenomenal character. On the contrary, reflection on variants of standard cases of spectrum inversion provides a strong argument for intentionalism. Depending on one’s views about the possibility of spectrum inversion, the impossibility of spectrum inversion without a difference in representation can also be used as an argument against a variety of reductive theories of mental representation.
Educational planning for engineering schools: A study of Iran between 1962 and 1982

The money from oil which enjoyed a fourfold increase in late 1973, enabled Iran to import more and more sophisticated technology. This created a huge demand for engineers. However, supply never equalled demand, and the discrepancy caused shortages of engineers throughout the country. This article is an attempt to investigate the state of educational planning for engineers, a critical ingredient for the industrialization of Iran from 1962 to 1982. Some selected findings were: (1) In the Third Development Plan, 1962–1967, the demand for engineers was 5,600 while the supply reached 3,065. The shortage totalled 2,535. (2) In the Fourth Development Plan, 1968–1972, there was a shortage of 7,707 engineers. (3) In the Fifth Development Plan, 1973–1978, when demand reached 36,400, the supply of engineers was 20,300. This plan was short by 16,100 engineers. The study also takes up the issue of engineering education in the post-Revolution period of 1979–1982. From the study, it was concluded that for educational purposes in Iran, there was never an adequate survey of markets and industries. Therefore, in establishing new engineering schools or expanding existing ones, the needs of the market were never properly taken into account. In cases where a plan existed, implementation did not correctly follow. The recommendations for solving the problem under the present circumstances conclude the research.
Alternative 5′ exons either provide or deny an initiator methionine codon to the same α-tubulin coding region

The primary structures of two overlapping novel alpha-tubulin cDNA clones isolated from a Macaca fascicularis testis cDNA library and the corresponding human gene are presented. Although the general structure of the human gene conforms to that of previously described mammalian alpha-tubulin genes, there is a surprising difference: the ATG initiator codon is conspicuously absent. The macaque testis cDNA similarly lacks the initiator methionine, but otherwise encodes a variant alpha-tubulin isotype precisely conserved in the human gene. RNA blot analysis in the macaque, using a 3' untranslated region probe, revealed the existence of two additional related transcripts expressed in every tissue examined except the adult testis. Sequence comparisons indicate that the 2.0 kb testis transcript and one of the additional transcripts result from differential transcription of the same gene. The two transcripts differ only at the 5' end as a result of the recruitment of different 5' exons. Curiously, the 5' exon utilized outside the testis encodes an initiator methionine in the expected location.
Dynamic Systems with Poisson White Noise

Methods are developed for finding properties of the output of linear and nonlinear dynamic systems to random actions represented by Poisson white noise and filtered Poisson processes. The Poisson white noise can be viewed as a sequence of independent, identically distributed pulses arriving at random times. The filtered Poisson process is the output of a linear filter to Poisson white noise. Three methods are considered for finding output properties. If the input has infrequent or frequent pulses, output properties can be obtained from a Markov model or the assumption that the input is a Gaussian white noise, respectively. Otherwise, a method based on Ito's formula for semimartingales is used to find output properties. Examples are used to illustrate the proposed methods.
Scaling of Numerical Dimensions Important to Clinical and Educational Psychologists

Expert judges see intervals of intelligence from different parts of the scale as unequal in an individually consistent manner and there is also some consistency among judges. There are considerable differences among judges as a function of amount of experience in dealing with the mentally retarded. Highly experienced judges are not influenced in comparing intervals by the traditional categories of intelligence, e.g., Normal, Dull Normal. They also judge intervals from the lower end of the scale as being the largest, whereas other judges see intervals from the upper end of the scale as largest. The implications of the findings for the clinical assessment of change are discussed.
pq-Catalan numbers and squarefree binomial coefficients

In this paper, we consider the generalized Catalan numbers F(s,n)=1(s−1)n+1(snn), which we call s-Catalan numbers. For p prime, we find all positive integers n such that pq divides F(pq,n), and also determine all distinct residues of F(pq,n)(modpq), q⩾1. As a byproduct we settle a question of Hough and the late Simion on the divisibility of the 4-Catalan numbers by 4. In the second part of the paper we prove that if pq⩽99999, then (pqn+1n) is not squarefree for n⩾τ1(pq) sufficiently large (τ1(pq) computable). Moreover, using the results of the first part, we find n<τ1(pq) (in base p), for which (pqn+1n) may be squarefree. As consequences, we obtain that (4n+1n) is squarefree only for n=1,3,45, and (9n+1n) is squarefree only for n=1,4,10.
Impact of transmitted CTL escape mutations on replicative capacity and HIV pathogenesis in early infection

Background Multiple HLA class I alleles have been shown to influence both HIV-1 transmission and viral load. In transmission pairs, viral loads of acutely infected partners correlate with viral loads (VL) of their chronically infected donors. This correlation becomes highly significant after adjustment for host factors known to modulate viral load. In addition, we have previously demonstrated that transmission of a virus containing multiple HLA-I associated polymorphisms resulted in a lower set point VL in Zambian linked recipients. These studies imply that transmitted viral characteristics play a role in defining early HIV-1 pathogenesis, and it will be important for vaccine development to understand which viral characteristics are responsible for this. Methods We investigated the role that the in vitro replicative capacity (RC) of the transmitted Gag plays in defining HIV-1 clinical parameters, by cloning gag genes from the founder virus in newly infected partners of 149 epidemiologically linked transmission pairs i nto the subtype C, R5 tropic MJ4 provirus. Results We observed a statistically significant positive correlation between the RC of Gag-MJ4 chimeras and set point VL in seroconverters (P=0.013). The RC of the transmitted Gag also correlated (P=0.025) to the viral load in the chronically infected donor, pointing to RC as the major viral characteristic responsible for the link between donor and linked recipient viral loads. The long term clinical benefit associated with the transmission of attenuated viruses was investigated by performing a Kaplan Meier analysis of time to CD4+ count less than 350. Individuals infected with attenuated gag sequences (RC 2) replicating viruses (P = 0.034).
Microwave balloon angioplasty effectively seals arterial dissections in an atherosclerotic rabbit model.

Abstract Objectives . The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of microwave balloon angioplasty in sealing arterial dissections and to characterize the histologic features associated with this intervention. Background . Coronary dissection accompanying balloon dilation is frequently associated with abrupt closure and acute ischemic complications. Effective management of this complication remains an active area of investigation. Because thermal energy is effective in welding separated atherosclerotic plaques, a microwave-based catheter system that provides controlled local heating was utilized in vessels with angioplasty-induced dissections. Methods . Iliac artery dissections were induced in a hypercholesterolemic rabbit model. Vessels were randomly assigned to treatment with standard balloon angioplasty (control vessels) or microwave balloon angioplasty using an average temperature of 80 °C. The response of the artery was assessed angiographically and histologically. Results . Angiographic success, defined as a reduction of dissection length by >50% or the resolution of lumen haziness, was achieved is 63% of microwave-treated vessels and in 16% of control vessels (p Conclusions . Microwave balloon angioplasty is more effective than routine balloon inflations in sealing arterial dissections in this model and appears to be less thrombogenic in these markedly disrupted vessels.
On the TRAIL of HIV-induced immunosuppression

Comment on Herbeuval et al, page [2458][1] Several recent reports have documented the critical contribution of TRAIL to T-cell depletion during HIV infection. In this issue of Blood , Herbeuval and colleagues provide evidence that antigen-presenting cells are a major source of this death ligand
Management Strategy for Simultaneous Carotid Endarterectomy and Coronary Revascularization

Abstract Background . The occurrence of significant carotid artery disease in patients requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) results in a dilemma regarding the best surgical management. Our philosophy has been to perform simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and CABG. We reviewed the efficacy of this therapy in patients treated at a large community-based hospital. Methods . During a 6-year period, from 1990 to 1996, 88 patients underwent simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and CABG. All patients underwent preoperative four-vessel arch arteriography and standard coronary angiography. The principal indications for combined procedures were the need for CABG and (1) symptomatic carotid artery disease; (2) internal carotid artery stenosis of 80% or more, with or without contralateral disease; or (3) an ulcerated, unstable internal carotid artery lesion, regardless of degree of stenosis. The average patient age was 68 years, and there was a 3:1 male-to-female predominance. All procedures were performed with the patients under general anesthesia. The carotid endarterectomy was performed first, and an intraluminal shunt was used in all patients. Results . The average degree of stenosis on the operated side was 86.2%. An average of 3.6 coronary bypasses per patient were performed. Morbidity included four strokes (4.5%). There were no perioperative myocardial infarctions. There were three hospital deaths (3.4%). The combined permanent stroke and mortality rate was 6.8%. Univariate predictors of stroke were an elevated serum creatinine level, a pulmonary complication, and left main coronary artery disease. Univariate predictors of hospital death were stroke, an elevated serum creatinine level, peripheral vascular disease, and left main coronary artery disease. Multivariate predictors of a prolonged hospitalization were stroke, an elevated serum creatinine level, and a pulmonary complication. Eighty-five patients (96.6%) were discharged and alive at 30 days. Conclusions . In the context of the indications we used to select patients for simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and CABG, the combined permanent stroke and mortality rate was less than 7%. Our management strategy identified patients that were at increased surgical risk as a result of advanced carotid and coronary artery disease. In our practice, simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and CABG is the preferred surgical approach for these high-risk patients and results in a low in-hospital morbidity and mortality using a single anesthetic and hospitalization.
Nanofluid pendant droplet evaporation: Experiments and modeling

Abstract Nanofluids, stable colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles in a base fluid, have potential applications in the heat transfer, combustion and propulsion, manufacturing, and medical fields. Experiments were conducted to determine the evaporation rate of room temperature, millimeter-sized pendant droplets of ethanol laden with varying amounts (0–3% by weight) of 40–60 nm aluminum nanoparticles (nAl). Time-resolved high-resolution droplet images were collected for the determination of early-time evaporation rate ( D 2 / D 0 2 > 0.75), shown to exhibit D -square law behavior, and surface tension. Results show an asymptotic decrease in droplet evaporation rate with increasing nAl loading. The evaporation rate decreases by approximately 15% at around 1–3% nAl loading relative to the evaporation rate of pure ethanol. Surface tension was observed to be unaffected by nAl loading up to 3% by weight. A model was developed to describe the evaporation of the nanofluid pendant droplets based on D -square law analysis for the gas domain and a description of the reduction in liquid fraction available for evaporation due to nanoparticle agglomerate packing near the evaporating droplet surface. Model predictions are in relatively good agreement with experiment, within a few percent of measured nanofluid evaporation rate.
TU‐A‐I‐611‐01: Effect of Scan Parameters in Cardiac Imaging with MDCT

Cardiac imaging has become a reality with the introduction of multiple-row detector computed tomography (MDCT) technology. Rapid evolutions in multiple row detectors ranging from 4 to 64 rows have led to the progression towards isotropic resolution imaging. This has become possible with improved technical factors such as sub-millimeter spatial resolution in z-direction (< 1mm), shorter scan time (< 400 ms), high temporal resolution (< 250 ms) and fast reconstruction of multiple data sets at various intervals in the cardiac cycle yielding larger 3D image data sets. Recently CT imaging, especially cardiac imaging is not confined only to conventional imaging areas such as Radiology but is also performed outside the conventional imaging areas such as Cardiology. In such cases, medical physicists often become the conduit between imaging and non-imaging areas in assisting the clinicians to understand key features of MDCT. Therefore, it is critical for the medical physicists to become familiar with the various scan parameters and how they influence the overall image quality, so that he or she can provide valuable contributions towards developing appropriate scan protocols, developing strategies for radiation dose reductions and many other aspects. CT image quality in general is influenced by a variety of scan parameters such as kVp, mAs, pitch, image noise, slice thickness, reconstruction algorithms etc. With cardiac CT imaging in mind, the presentation will discuss the effect of various scan parameters and how it affects the radiation dose and image quality. Educational Objectives: 1. To become familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of various MDCT data acquisition modes. 2. To describe the effects of scan parameters on image quality and patient radiation dose. 3. To become familiar with spatial, temporal resolution and other key requirements in cardiac imaging. 4. To illustrate the image quality requirements in select clinical imaging sequences.
Lymphomatous meningitis presenting as atypical cluster headache

We report a woman who developed atypical cluster headache as the first manifestation of trigeminal dysfunction from leptomeningeal lymphoma. Progression to a complete trigeminal neuropathy led to resolution of her pain. The role of the trigeminal nerve in the expression of the signs and symptoms of cluster headache is discussed.
RNA Synthetic Activities of Sertoli Cells in the Mouse Testis

Electron microscope autoradiographic studies of RNA synthesis in Sertoli cells of the adult mouse, using [‘H]uridine as a precursor, show a random distribution of grains in the nucleoplasmic area and a localized product on the nucleolar fibrillar component at early labeling times (15 mm). The condensed chromatin bodies associated with the nucleolus seem to have a nucleolar organizing function. At later labeling times (3 h) certain interchromatmn granules occurring in clusters in the nucleoplasm become partially labeled. After 7-8 days, the disappearance of label from Sertoli cells, contrasting with the longer persistence in spermatocytes, suggests a rapid turnover of RNA in Sertoli cells. Differential labeling patterns and structural changes in Sertoli cells cytoplasm are related to variations in functional activities presumably required for normal spermatogenesis and/or spermiogenesis. Sertoli cells are found in the seminiferous epithelium of several mammalian species. Though various functions have been attributed to these cells, it is generally accepted that Sertoli cells provide mechanical support for germinal cells. Moreover, they participate in the release of sperm into the lumen of the seminiferous tubules (VitaleCalpe and Burgos, 1970), dispose of cell debris by a phagocytic mechanism (Clegg and Macmillan, 1965; Kierszenbaum, 1970), and play an important role in the transfer of nutrients and metabolites between the intertubular space and the lumen of the tubules, acting as “bridge” cells (Vilar et al., 1962). It is also known that Sertoli cells constitute a unique stable cell population in the seminiferous epithelium. Whereas spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and sper
Enophthalmos secondary to orbital metastasis of breast carcinoma in a male: a case report

Enophthalmos is a well documented sign of orbital metastasis from breast carcinoma in females. A case of a similar process in a male is presented. Breast cancer should be considered in the differential diagnosis of non-traumatic enophthalmos in males.
An automated procedure to identify biomedical articles that contain cancer-associated gene variants.

The proliferation of biomedical literature makes it increasingly difficult for researchers to find and manage relevant information. However, identifying research articles containing mutation data, a requisite first step in integrating large and complex mutation data sets, is currently tedious, time-consuming and imprecise. More effective mechanisms for identifying articles containing mutation information would be beneficial both for the curation of mutation databases and for individual researchers. We developed an automated method that uses information extraction, classifier, and relevance ranking techniques to determine the likelihood of MEDLINE abstracts containing information regarding genomic variation data suitable for inclusion in mutation databases. We targeted the CDKN2A (p16) gene and the procedure for document identification currently used by CDKN2A Database curators as a measure of feasibility. A set of abstracts was manually identified from a MEDLINE search as potentially containing specific CDKN2A mutation events. A subset of these abstracts was used as a training set for a maximum entropy classifier to identify text features distinguishing “relevant” from “not relevant” abstracts. Each document was represented as a set of indicative word, word pair, and entity tagger-derived genomic variation features. When applied to a test set of 200 candidate abstracts, the classifier predicted 88 articles as being relevant; of these, 29 of 32 manuscripts in which manual curation found CDKN2A sequence variants were positively predicted. Thus, the set of potentially useful articles that a manual curator would have to review was reduced by 56%, maintaining 91% recall (sensitivity) and more than doubling precision (positive predictive value). Subsequent expansion of the training set to 494 articles yielded similar precision and recall rates, and comparison of the original and expanded trials demonstrated that the average precision improved with the larger data set. Our results show that automated systems can effectively identify article subsets relevant to a given task and may prove to be powerful tools for the broader research community. This procedure can be readily adapted to any or all genes, organisms, or sets of documents. Hum Mutat 0, 1–8, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Association of vitamin D receptors with the nuclear matrix of human and rat genitourinary tissues

Calcitrol, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-D3) has an important role in the antiproliferative and growth regulatory effects on normal and neoplastic cells (e.g. prostate cancer cells). 1,25-D3 binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a member of the steroid receptor superfamily. Steroids, via intranuclear receptors, have been demonstrated to have high affinity binding to the nuclear matrix, the tissue specific scaffolding of the nucleus that is involved in the organization of DNA, replication and transcription. We hypothesized that the VDR interacts closely with the nuclear matrix in both human and rat tissues. In the studies described here, nuclear matrix proteins (NMP) were extracted from a number of rat and human tissues and immunoblot analysis performed using a rat anti-VDR antibody. The results from these studies reveal that the anti-VDR antibody detects six forms of the VDR in the NMP preparations: human testis demonstrated a protein of 57 and 52 kDa molecular weight compared with 57 and 37 kDa in the rat testis. Human prostate demonstrated proteins of 52 kDa compared to rat ventral (57 and 37 kDa) and dorsal prostate (52 and 26 kDa). Human and rat bladder NMP demonstrated a protein binding at 55 kDa and rat seminal vesicle NMP binding at 48 kDa. This is the first report of VDRs associated with the nuclear matrix. The varying molecular weight proteins reactive with the anti-VDR antibody within these tissues may represent different isoforms, proteolytic cleavage of a larger VDR or post-translational modification. The VDR-NMP interaction may be involved in the tissue specific actions of 1,25-D3 especially growth regulatory and antiproliferative effects.
Extracellular ATP signaling in the rabbit lung: erythrocytes as determinants of vascular resistance.

Previously, it was reported that red blood cells (RBCs) are required to demonstrate participation of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of rabbit pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). RBCs do not s...
On telling tails when combining results of independent studies.

Illustrates the use of one-tailed tests in combining results of independent probabilities. The distinction is made between the use of the tails of (a) those distributions with lower bounds of zero and (b) those that are symmetrical about zero. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all righ