cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Significance of the pulmonary vascular bed in congenital heart disease. V. Lesions of the left side of the heart causing obstruction of the pulmonary venous return.

A microscopic study was made of the lungs of 18 patients with congenital malformations of the heart in which there was obstruction of pulmonary venous drainage. Alterations in various components of the pulmonary vascular bed and of the lung parenchyma were described and correlated with the clinical course and the type of malformation present. A quantitative evaluation of the pulmonary arterial thickening was made by determining the lumen:wall ratio of small vessels. The anatomic alterations found in these children were compared to those of adults with acquired mitral stenosis.
Mapping of an h-2 linked gene that influences mating preference in mice.

In mating tests of B6 males, and of congenic B6-T1aa males, with paired B6 and B6-T1aa females, there was a preponderance of matings with B6-Th1aa females in both cases. These results conform to a hypothesis that in theQa-T1a region there is anRi (recognition of identity) gene which is expressed in females and influences mating preference; and that anotherRi gene, expressed in males and also influencing mating preference, is situated elsewhere in the MHC region.
Historical returns and security market development, 1872–1925

Abstract Annual holding returns are reported for a broad range of the assets available to investors in the security market between 1872 and 1925. A generally favorable picture of asset performance is revealed when these returns are compared to those on similar investments in the modern era. Two changes in the patterns of returns around 1900 occurred—a decline in inflation adjusted debt returns and an increase in the volatility of stock returns (especially industrial stock). The structure of asset returns after 1900 was distinctly modern and has persisted to the present. The emergence of the modern structure of returns is linked to institutional changes in the security market between 1890 and World War I, and to the process of industrial capital formation.
Functional and cosmetic status in children treated for congenital muscular torticollis as infants

Every year, about 60 infants receive treatment for congenital muscular torticollis (CMT), at the Department of Physiotherapy. The aim of this study was to do a survey of children treated for CMT, a...
Tangible symbols: symbolic communication for individuals with multisensory impairments

Many individuals with multisensory impairments fail to bridge the gap between presymbolic communication and formal language systems such as speech or manual signs. This paper discusses the use of tangible symbols—manipulable symbols (objects or pictures) that bear a clear perceptual relationship to a referent— by individuals who are not able to acquire abstract symbol systems. A sequence of communication development that accommodates the use of tangible symbols is presented, as well as two brief case histories illustrating the acquisition of tangible symbol systems by individuals with multisensory impairments. Finally, data on the progress of nine individuals who were taught to use tangible symbols is presented.
Effects of a low-lipotrope diet on the response of young male rats to the pyrrolizidine alkaloid, monocrotaline.

Abstract Effects of monocrotaline, one of the pyrrolizidine alkaloids, were studied in rats fed a normal diet or a diet low in lipotropic factors. The low-lipotrope diet protected the animals against the acute toxic effects of monocrotaline but not the effects of a pyrrole metabolite of monocrotaline. Protection was evaluated by mortality, histologic changes in the liver, and dissociation of polysomes. Animals fed the low-lipotrope diet were less sensitive than the controls to monocrotaline by all three criteria. The pyrrole metabolite caused dissociation of polysomes and equally severe histologic changes in both groups. Polysomes were much slower to reassemble in rats fed the low-lipotrope diet than in those fed the control diet. A partial explanation for the protective effect of the low-lipotrope diet was provided by the observation that rats fed the diet converted less monocrotaline to the active pyrrole metabolite and had consistenly lower concentrations of N-demethylating enzymes in the liver. These results were consistent with the current theory that monocrotaline exerts its major hepatotoxic effect after conversion to the active pyrrole. The liver of rats fed low-lipotrope diets was incapable of converting the parent compound to its active metabolite at a sufficient rate to allow the characteristic expression of toxicity.
Serine496 of β2 subunit of L-type Ca2+ channel participates in molecular crosstalk between activation of (Na++K+)-ATPase and the channel.

Abstract Activation of (Na++K+)-ATPase (NKA) regulates cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) function through molecular crosstalk. The mechanism underlying NKA–LTCC crosstalk remains poorly understood. We have previously shown that activation of NKA leads to phosphorylation of LTCC α1 Ser1928. Here we investigated whether LTCC β2 subunit is modulated by NKA activation and found that LTCC β2 Ser496 is phosphorylated in response to activation of NKA. Src inhibitor PP1 and Erk1/2 inhibitor PD98059 abolish LTCC β2 Ser496 phosphorylation, suggesting that NKA-mediated β2 Ser496 phosphorylation is dependent of Src/Erk1/2 signaling pathway. Protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor KT5823 failed to inhibit the phosphorylation of β2 Ser496, indicating that the NKA–LTCC crosstalk is independent of PKG activity. The results of nifedipine sensitive 45Ca influx experiments suggest that phosphorylation of β2 Ser496 may play a key down-regulation role in attenuating the accelerated activity of α1 subunit of the channel. Ouabain does not cause a phosphorylation on β2 Ser496, indicating a fundamental difference between activation and inhibition of NKA-mediated biological processes. This study provides the first evidence to demonstrate that LTCC β2 subunit is coupled with the movement of signals in the mechanism of activation of NKA-mediated crosstalk with LTCC.
Constitutive deletion of the serotonin-7 (5-HT7) receptor decreases electrical and chemical seizure thresholds

Summary The localization of serotonin-7 (5-HT 7 ) receptors and the biological activity of ligands have suggested that 5-HT 7 receptors might be involved in pain, migraine, epilepsy, anxiety, depression, memory, and sleep. In the present study, the potential involvement of 5-HT 7 receptors in epilepsy and other seizure disorders was assessed by comparing the seizures produced by three types of electrical stimulation and three chemical convulsants in 5-HT 7 receptor-deficient (knockout, KO) mice to those seizures observed in wild-type (WT) mice. Thresholds for producing electroshock-induced clonic seizures did not differ between KO versus WT mice. However, thresholds for producing electroshock-induced tonic seizures were significantly lower in KO than in WT mice. Seizures produced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ, a GABA A receptor antagonist), N -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA, an agonist at NMDA-type glutamate receptors), and cocaine (an inhibitor of monoamine uptake) were also studied. PTZ was more potent in inducing seizures in 5-HT 7 KO mice than in wild-type mice. Likewise, cocaine was more potent in inducing seizures in 5-HT 7 KO than in WT mice; moreover, death resulted from cocaine administration in 5-HT 7 KO mice but not in WT mice. There was a similar trend for NMDA that did not reach statistical significance. The present findings point to the potential for a generalized reduction in seizure threshold with constitutive deletion of the 5-HT 7 receptor gene. Since seizures have not been reported with pharmacological blockade of the receptor, the findings suggest that adaptive changes may play a role in the low seizure thresholds in these mice. In addition, the data suggest that the lower thresholds for seizures produced by diverse mechanisms should be taken into account when interpreting other aspects of the phenotype and behavioral pharmacology of this mouse.
Code, coding and coded perspectives

I begin with a discussion of code and its primary types: embedded, source, binary and interpreted. I then consider three measures in which code is fundamentally different than print. In particular I speak of the trust inherent in connectivity, the organizational difficulties of information, and the problem of archiving information that may change rapidly. Following each of these explanations I offer my own hypotheses about how code and ubiquitous digital media might alter society and the sensibilities of its participants.
A probabilistic model for predicting distributions of PAH ratios between oysters and marine sediments

Abstract Modeling the uptake of organic chemicals by aquatic organisms is an important step in assessing human exposure to harmful environmental contaminants via seafood consumption. In many cases, investigators have applied the Equilibrium Partitioning (EqP) Model to determine the bioavailability of organic contaminants. This model assumes that a thermodynamic equilibrium exists between local environmental phases. It relies on point-estimated biota-to-sediment ratios (BSRs) to predict the concentration of organic residuals in the lipid tissues of organisms from the measured amounts of contaminants in the organic carbon component of the sediment. The paper presents a modeling analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) oyster and sediment contamination data collected at Murrells Inlet, SC, a high salinity estuary located in a heavily urbanized area just south of Myrtle Beach, SC. Three representative PAH analytes are considered: phenanthrene (PHE), pyrene (PYR) and chrysene (CRY). Statistical tests and scatter plots of lipid and organic carbon-normalized data clearly indicate that point-estimated BSRs of the EqP model are not appropriate for this system. As an alternative, the paper proposes a probabilistic model that describes the distributions of BSR values for each analyte. BSR upper limit confidence intervals given by these models are equal in magnitude to those derived from equilibrium partitioning. However, contrary to the predictions of the EqP model, BSR values appear to decrease with an increase in the molecular weight of the analyte. This suggests that heavier PAHs are ‘falling out’ of the water column into the sediment and become less available for uptake by oysters.
An enrichment method for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Pah's) collected on glass fiber filters using hydrofluoric acid

Abstract A chemical method employing hydrofluoric acid and capable of enriching the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons content from a high volume glass fiber filter is described. The method is especially useful for the rapid preparation of samples for GC/MS identification.
Water flow modulates the response of coral reef communities to ocean acidification

By the end of the century coral reefs likely will be affected negatively by ocean acidification (OA), but both the effects of OA on coral communities and the crossed effects of OA with other physical environmental variables are lacking. One of the least considered physical parameters is water flow, which is surprising considering its strong role in modulating the physiology of reef organisms and communities. In the present study, the effects of flow were tested on coral reef communities maintained in outdoor flumes under ambient pCO2 and high pCO2 (1300 μatm). Net calcification of coral communities, including sediments, was affected by both flow and pCO2 with calcification correlated positively with flow under both pCO2 treatments. The effect of flow was less evident for sediments where dissolution exceeded precipitation of calcium carbonate under all flow speeds at high pCO2. For corals and calcifying algae there was a strong flow effect, particularly at high pCO2 where positive net calcification was maintained at night in the high flow treatment. Our results demonstrate the importance of water flow in modulating the coral reef community response to OA and highlight the need to consider this parameter when assessing the effects of OA on coral reefs.
Estimation of gas-phase hydroxyl radical rate constants for organic chemicals

Reactions du radical hydroxyle avec des composes organiques et en particulier des composes du phosphore
Long-Term Effect of Budesonide on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function in Children With Mild to Moderate Asthma

Objective. To determine the safety of long-term (36 months) administration of an inhaled corticosteroid (budesonide) on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in children with mild to moderate asthma. Methods. This was an ancillary study of the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP). Sixty-three children who had mild to moderate asthma and were enrolled in CAMP underwent evaluation of HPA axis function before and 12 and 36 months after receiving continuous therapy with either an inhaled anti-inflammatory agent (budesonide 400 μg/day or nedocromil 16 mg/day) or placebo. HPA axis function was assessed by serum cortisol levels 30 and 60 minutes after 0.25 mg of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and 24-hour urinary free cortisol excretion. Results. There were no differences in serum cortisol levels after ACTH stimulation between treatment groups, regardless of time after ACTH administration or months of follow-up. Urinary cortisol excretion per body surface area was similar in both treatment groups at 36 months, after adjusting for age at randomization, race, gender, and clinic. Cumulative inhaled corticosteroid exposure did not influence serum cortisol response to ACTH or urinary free cortisol excretion at 36 months. Conclusions. We found no effects of chronic budesonide treatment at a dose of 400 μg/day on HPA axis function in children with mild to moderate asthma and demonstrated the absence of a cumulative effect on HPA axis function over a 3-year period.
Therapeutic Beliefs of Asian American Therapists: Views from an Ethnic-Specific Clinic

Ethnic-specific mental health services have been found to improve ethnic minority use and retention. However, few studies have gone beyond outcome-based studies and examined what elements of the services distinguish them as ethnic-specific. This article is about what Asian American therapists at one ethnic-specific clinic reported about their practices with their clients and what they believed their clients thought about mental illness and treatment. Three major areas of concern emerged: mental illness beliefs, treatment beliefs, and therapeutic relationships. Findings indicated that ethnic-specific services require more than the bilingual/ bicultural matching of therapist and client, but entail constant negotiations between therapist and client and also the types of services provided. In addition, therapists reported a culturally congruent match between themselves and their ethnic-specific clinic, indicating a broader aspect of the cultural match thesis.
Certain ideals for which I1·Ig=I1∩·∩Ig

Abstract Let I1,·, Ig be proper ideals of a Noetherian ring R. Then it is shown that I 1 ·I g =I 1 ∩·∩I g =∩ {I j :(I 1 ·I j−1 I j>+1 ·I g ) n ; j=1,·,g} for all n≥1 if and only if each P ∈ Ass(R/I1·Ig) contains exactly one of the ideals Ij. As an application it is shown that if I1,·, Ig are generated by disjoint nonempty subsets of a permutable R-sequence, then I m 1 1 ·I m g g=I m 1 1 ∩·∩I m g g =∩ }I m j j (I 1 ·I j−1 I j +1 ·I g ) n ; j=1,·, g} and Ass(R/Im1·Img)=∪gj=1 Ass (R/Ij) for all positive integers m1, ·, mg, n. Then asymptotic and essential theory versions of these results are proved.
Associativity of Quantum Multiplication

We proved the associativity of the multiplication of quantum cohomology for a monotone compact symplectic manifold V for which c 1(A)>1 for any effective class . The same proof also works for any positive compact symplectic manifold with c 1(A)>1.
An algorithm for treatment of infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition with both a reproductive and metabolic phenotype. Women with PCOS often seek care because of infertility or menstrual cycle irregularities that result from chronic anovulation interspersed with occasional ovulatory cycles. Initially, it is important to delineate a differential diagnosis for oligo- or amenorrhea and to evaluate for disorders that may “masquerade” as PCOS. If fertility is a desired goal, then it is critical to optimize health conditions that impact fertility and gestation. Lifestyle modifications, including nutritional counseling and weight loss, should be a part of all treatment plans. Even minimal (5%) weight loss in obese women with PCOS improves both ovulation and pregnancy rates. The first line of treatment for ovulation induction remains the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) clomiphene citrate. The role of insulin sensitizers, particularly metformin, remains unclear. A recent consensus panel recommended against its routine use in the absence of an elevated glucose or hemoglobin A1c. If a woman fails to achieve pregnancy after a trial of weight loss and six ovulatory cycles induced by clomiphene citrate, then ovulation induction with exogenous gonadotropin, with or without timed intrauterine insemination, or in vitro fertilitization, is a reasonable next step. Women with PCOS are particularly prone to excessive follicle development and are at increased risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Although limited data exist comparing approaches to ovulation induction or controlled ovarian stimulation in women with PCOS, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends the use of “step-up” or “step-down” protocols in which a low dose of exogenous FSH or combined gonadotropins are employed in an attempt to constrain ovarian responsiveness. In vitro fertilization allows for the transfer of only one embryo or for cryopreservation of all embryos with subsequent transfer of a single embryo in a subsequent cycle without ovarian stimulation. Countless questions regarding pathogenesis and treatment of PCOS create opportunity for basic and clinical research and for refinement of existing therapeutic approaches.
Non-linear damped vibration of beams with periodic forcing

Abstract We study the forced oscillations of beams with non-linear damping. A numerical method is proposed which obtains the unique periodic solution by means of an initial-boundary value problem technique. The numerical method is motivated and justified by first studying a coupled system of ordinary differential equations.
Peptides homologous to the amyloid protein of Alzheimer's disease containing a glutamine for glutamic acid substitution have accelerated amyloid fibril formation.

Summary β-Amyloid (Aβ) deposition in fibril form is the central event in a number of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis — Dutch type (HCHWA-D). Aβ is produced by degradation of a larger amyloid precursor protein (APP). Recently a mutation in the APP gene has been found in HCHWA-D causing a glutamine for glutamic acid substitution at residue 22 of Aβ. The influence of this mutation on fibrillogenesis is not known, although it is clear that affected patients have accelerated cerebrovascular amyloid deposition, with disease symptoms early in life. We report the in vitro demonstration of accelerated fibril formation in a 28 resdue synthetic peptide homologous to the Dutch variant Aβ. Furthermore, in eight residue peptides homologous to Aβ the presence of the mutation is necessary for fibril formation. These findings provide a mechanism for accelerated amyloid formation in the Dutch variant of APP.
Systematic Design and Simulation of Polymer Microring Resonators with the Combination of Beam Propagation Method and Matrix Model

In this paper, a basic microring resonator structure is divided into two separate regions, i.e. a 4-port coupler and a 2-port ring/curved waveguide, thus can be regarded as an optical system composed of two components.
Silence is not always golden in medical decision-making.

Physician “silence” on medical treatment issues, as Whitney and McCullough (2007) indicate in their article, is not a novel idea. As early as The Hippocratic Corpus we read the exhortation that the...
Whose interests count

Whose interests should count and how should various interests be balanced at the pediatric patient's bedside? The interests of the child patient clearly count. Recently, however, many authors have argued that the family's interests also count. But how should we think about the interests of others? What does it mean to talk about "the family" in this context? Does it really just mean the interests of each individual family member? Or is the family itself a moral entity that has interests of its own independent of the interests of each of its members? Are such interests important only as they affect the patient's interest or also for their own sake? In this special supplement to Pediatrics, a group of pediatricians, philosophers, and lawyers grapple with these questions. They examine these issues from different angles and reach different conclusions. Jointly, they demonstrate the ethical importance and, above all, the ethical complexity of the family's role at the bedside. Language: en
A mechanistic study of the H/D exchange reactions of protonated arginine and arginine-containing Di- and tripeptides

The gas-phase H/D exchange reactions of arginine (R) and arginine-containing di- and tri-peptide (gly-arg (GR), arg-gly (RG), gly-gly-arg (GGR), gly-arg-gly (GRG) and arg-gly-gly (RGG)) [M+H]+ ions with deuterated ammonia (ND3) were investigated by using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR), ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS), ab initio and density functional theory-based molecular orbital calculations and molecular modeling. Three exchanges are observed for arginine and arginine-containing tri-peptide [M+H]+ ions, whereas the di-peptide [M+H]+ ions undergo a single H/D exchange. In addition, C-terminal methylation blocks H/D exchange of arginine and the arginine-containing peptide [M+H]+ ions, and a single H/D exchange is observed for N-terminal acetylated arginine [M+H]+ ions. A general mechanism for H/D exchange involving a collision complex that is best described as a “solvated salt-bridge” structure is proposed.
Comparison and reproducibility of sEMG during manual muscle testing on land and in water

Abstract The objectives of this study were to: (1) compare the sEMG recordings from maximal voluntary contractions (MVC), and (2) examine the reproducibility of sEMG recordings from MVCs for selected lower extremity muscles derived from manual muscle testing (MMT) on dry land, and in water prior to and following aquatic treadmill running. Twelve healthy recreational male runners participated. The selected muscles were: M. quadriceps–vastus medialis (VM) and rectus femoris (RF), M. biceps femoris (BF), M. tibialis anterior (TA) and the M. gastrocnemius caput mediale (GAS) of the right leg. The MVC testing conditions were: dry land, underwater prior to (Water 1) and following an aquatic exercise trial (Water 2). For each muscle, a one-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare MVC scores between testing conditions, and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and typical error (CV%) were calculated to determine the reproducibility and precision of MVC scores, respectively, between conditions. For all muscles, no significant differences were observed between land and water MVC scores ( p =0.88–0.97), and high reliability (ICC=0.96–0.98) and precision (CV%=7.4–12.6%) were observed between MVC conditions. Under MMT conditions it appears that comparable MVC sEMG values were achieved on land and in water and the integrity of the EMG recordings were maintained during water immersion. Future studies using sEMG waterproofing procedures should conduct MVC testing in water for data normalization and perform post-exercise verification of sEMG signal integrity.
Effect of oxygen and oxidation on tensile properties of V5Cr5Ti alloy

Oxidation studies were conducted on V-5Cr-5Ti alloy specimens in an air environment to evaluate the oxygen uptake behavior of the alloy as a function of temperature and exposure time. The oxidation rates calculated from parabolic kinetic measurements of thermogravimetric testing and confirmed by microscopic analyses of cross sections of exposed specimens were 5, 17, and 27 {mu}m per year after exposure at 300, 400, and 500{degrees}C, respectively. Uniaxial-tensile tests were conducted at room temperature and at 500C on preoxidized specimens of the alloy to examine the effects of oxidation and oxygen migration on tensile strength and ductility. Microstructural characteristics of several of the tested specimens were determined by electron optics techniques. Correlations were developed between tensile strength and ductility of the oxidized alloy and microstructural characteristics such as oxide thickness, depth of hardened layer, depth of intergranular fracture zone, and transverse crack length.
Combination chemotherapy in a prostate tumor model: Nb rat prostatic adenocarcinoma model.

This report presents the experience with single and combination chemotherapy in the Noble rat prostatic adenocarcinoma model. The best single agent in treatment of these tumors is cyclophosphamide, the best combination was triple drug therapy cyclophosphamide, cis-plati-num, and adriamycin. This report examines the effect of the various chemotherapeutic regimens on tumor volume, number of metastasis, and complete tumor regression.
Polarization changes in the terminals of identified primary afferent fibers at the gracile nucleus

Abstract Several cutaneous fiber types project directly to the gracile nucleus of the cat. Under barbiturate anesthesia, terminal excitability changes on single fibers of identified type were produced by electrical and natural stimulation of the ipsilateral hind limb but not by stimulation of other limbs. The time course of primary afferent depolarization evoked by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve was similar for all fiber types. Light brushing of hairs on the hind limb was effective in producing primary afferent depolarization on all fiber types. Rubbing the skin did not produce significantly greater excitability changes. Comparison of periphery-to-nucleus conduction time and onset time of primary afferent depolarization for individual fibers showed no clear relationship between these two parameters, although some fibers with long conduction times also had a late onset of primary afferent depolarization. The data suggest that under barbiturate anesthesia, ipsilateral peripheral inputs activate a single interneuron pool which directs primary afferent depolarization onto fibers of all types reaching the gracile nucleus directly.
First-principles calculation of the folding free energy of a three-helix bundle protein

The folding and unfolding of a three-helix bundle protein were explored with molecular-dynamics simulations, cluster analysis, and weighted-histogram techniques. The folding-unfolding process occurs by means of a "folding funnel," in which a uniform and broad distribution of conformational states is accessible outside of the native manifold. This distribution narrows near a transition region and becomes compact within the native manifold. Key thermodynamic steps in folding include initial interactions around the amino-terminal helix-turn-helix motif, interactions between helices I and II, and, finally, the docking of helix III onto the helix I-II subdomain. A metastable minimum in the calculated free-energy surface is observed at approximately 1.5 times the native volume. Folding-unfolding thermodynamics are dominated by the opposing influences of protein-solvent energy, which favors unfolding, and the overall entropy, which favors folding by means of the hydrophobic effect.
Shear Band Formation During Sheet Forming

Shear bands grow across the dimensions of deforming sheet during some sheet forming and most metal separation operations. Their formation accelerates failute and determines its location in the sheet. Examined is shear band development during plane strain extension using both experimental observations and geometric models. Many factors are reviewed which combined to create the specific conditions required for shear band formation.
A comparison of the responses of dispersed steroidogenic cells derived from embryonic adrenal tissue from the domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), the domestic Pekin duck and the wild mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), and the domestic muscovy duck (Cairina moschata).

Abstract The steroidogenic responsiveness of adrenal cell suspensions prepared from domestic chicken adrenal tissue at the end of embryogenesis was compared to the responses of similar preparations derived from the wild and domesticated mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), and the domesticated muscovy duck (Cairina moschata). In all cases, the masses of corticosterone (B), aldosterone (Aldo), and deoxycorticosterone (DOC) released from cells incubated in medium containing 1–24 ACTH exceeded the estimated hormone content of the freshly dispersed cells; the induced rates of corticosteroid release were, therefore, presumed to reflect de novo hormone synthesis. When chicken cells were incubated in medium containing 1–24 ACTH, there were progressive, dose-dependent increases in B and DOC synthesis over a range of concentrations spanning two orders of magnitude; only small, nondose-related, albeit significant, increases in Aldo release were observed. The 1–24 ACTH-induced increases in B and Aldo synthesis by the mallard and Pekin duck cells exposed to the same range of concentrations were up to 40 and 60 times greater than the corresponding responses of the chicken cells. The rates of 1–24 ACTH-induced B and DOC release from muscovy duck cells were similar to those from the Pekin duck cells; compared with the mallard duck cells, however, the muscovy duck cells were less sensitive and the maximum inducible rate of B release was significantly lower. The pattern of 1–24 ACTH-induced Aldo release from the muscovy duck cells was indistinguishable from that of the mallard duck cells, although the maximum inducible increase occurred at a lower concentration. Angiotensin II (AII) induced very small, but significant increased in B, Aldo, and DOC release from the chicken cells but in a nondose-related fashion. In contrast, mallard, Pekin, and muscovy duck cells all responded in a dose-dependent manner when incubated in medium containing AII. In each instance the maximum rate of Aldo synthesis induced by AII was about one-tenth of the corresponding rate induced by 1–24 ACTH. The maximum rates of B synthesis induced by AII, however, were extremely low compared with the rates induced by 1–24 ACTH. Thus, when maximally stimulated with All the B:Aldo output ratio ranged from 1.0 to 1.9, whereas the corresponding ratio was between 9.0 and 17.0 when the cells were maximally stimulated with 1–24 ACTH.
Ovarian transplantation in humans: indications, techniques and the risk of reseeding cancer

Laboratory research on ovarian cryopreservation and transplantation began in the 1950s leading to clinical studies in the 2000s. The research that was performed during this half century indicated that cryopreserved ovarian tissue has the potential to restore fertility in women who face premature ovarian failure due to chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. To date, ovarian function has been restored in at least four women. Even though no pregnancies have been reported so far from these clinical studies, animal studies indicate that this is a valid prospect for humans. Future clinical trials will determine on a larger number of patients the longevity of ovarian grafts, normality of hormone production and ovarian follicle development, possibility and safety of pregnancy, and the safety of auto-transplantation in cancer patients. However, the major improvement in the efficiency of ovarian transplantation is anticipated to come from research exploring the revascularization process.
Hypertension as complication of vesicoureteral reflux in children

Abstract Eight cases are reported of female children presenting with hypertension and found to have primary vesicoureteral reflux with chronic pyelonephritis. In 6 patients renal function was essentially normal while 2 had azotemia and progessive renal deterioration. As a result of early surgical intervention in the form of antireflux procedures, occasionally combined with unilateral nephrectomy for renin-dependent lesions, 5 of the 8 had complete disappearance or amelioration of hypertension with stabilization of renal function. The interactions of each member of the triad — vesicoureteral reflux, pyelonephritis, and hypertension — are reviewed with emphasis on pertinent pathophysiologic concepts regarding their roles in the production of progressive renal deterioration.
The importance of Free Will

The assumption that we have free will is generally thought to lurk behind the justifications of many of our current practices. That is, it is generally thought that only if we have free will can it be appropriate for us to engage in these practices, and that, if we should conclude that we don't have free will, we would have reason to give these practices up. The importance of the problem of free will in philosophy is often thought to depend on its relation to the justification of these practices. Thus, if an adequate justification of these practices were to be found, it may be thought that either the free will problem would thereby be solved or that, at least, it would thereby cease to be of interest. In this paper, I shall argue that the justification of these practices need not rest on the assumption that we do have free will, and that the conclusion that we don't have free will gives us no reason at all to abandon these practices. My argument, however, seems to me to leave both the problem and its importance intact. The thought that our wills may not be free is no less disturbing even when all ties to the justification of our practices are completely and irrevocably severed. Of course, there are some for whom the problem of free will was never disturbing in the first place. This paper is not likely to provide them with any new reason to be disturbed. Moreover, to those who have been and continue to be disturbed by the problem, this paper is not likely to offer much solace. Still, my paper is primarily addressed to this latter group, for, if it cannot provide solace, it may still provide insight into why-and why not-such solace is needed. I shall begin by outlining a naive attempt at expressing the fears of those who find the problem of free will upsetting, and a naive response by those who think that the problem of free will gives us nothing to worry about. This expression of fear and the response
MRI-based quantification of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a canine model

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive and fatal X-linked disease caused by mutations in the DMD gene. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown potential to provide non-invasive and objective biomarkers for monitoring disease progression and therapeutic effect in DMD. In this paper, we propose a semi-automated scheme to quantify MRI features of golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD), a canine model of DMD. Our method was applied to a natural history data set and a hydrodynamic limb perfusion data set. The scheme is composed of three modules: pre-processing, muscle segmentation, and feature analysis. The pre-processing module includes: calculation of T2 maps, spatial registration of T2 weighted (T2WI) images, T2 weighted fat suppressed (T2FS) images, and T2 maps, and intensity calibration of T2WI and T2FS images. We then manually segment six pelvic limb muscles. For each of the segmented muscles, we finally automatically measure volume and intensity statistics of the T2FS images and T2 maps. For the natural history study, our results showed that four of six muscles in affected dogs had smaller volumes and all had higher mean intensities in T2 maps as compared to normal dogs. For the perfusion study, the muscle volumes and mean intensities in T2FS were increased in the post-perfusion MRI scans as compared to pre-perfusion MRI scans, as predicted. We conclude that our scheme successfully performs quantitative analysis of muscle MRI features of GRMD.
P2Y12 Inhibitors in Cardiovascular Disease: Focus on Prasugrel

OBJECTIVETo review the literature describing the pharmacology, pharmacokinetic properties, efficacy, and adverse effects of prasugrel, a new thienopyridine.DATA SOURCESA literature search was conducted (1966–November 2008) of the MEDLINE, Current Contents, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstract databases using the key words prasugrel, CS-747, LY640315, and P2Y12. Bibliographies of identified literature were also reviewed for additional references.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONAll reports published in English that evaluated prasugrel (or its chemical synonyms) were reviewed. Abstracts without subsequently published reports were excluded.DATA SYNTHESISGiven the high rate of recurrent coronary events despite current antiplatelet therapies, agents with potentially greater efficacy are under investigation. Prasugrel is a novel thienopyridine prodrug that is rapidly metabolized to its active platelet-inhibitory metabolite (R-138727) and exerts antiplatelet activity through antagonism of P2Y12 re...
Potential for Personal Digital Assistant interference with implantable cardiac devices.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the wireless local area network (WLAN) technology, specifically the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), interferes with implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators. MATERIAL AND METHODS Various pacemakers and defibrillators were tested in vitro at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, between March 6 and July 30, 2003. These cardiac devices were exposed to an HP Compaq iPAQ PDA fitted with a Cisco Aironet WLAN card. Initial testing was designed to show whether the Aironet card radiated energy in a consistent pattern from the antenna of the PDA to ensure that subsequent cardiac device testing would not be affected by the orientation of the PDA to the cardiac device. Testing involved placing individual cardiac devices in a simulator and uniformly exposing each device at its most sensitive programmable value to the WLAN card set to maximum power. RESULTS During testing with the Cisco WLAN Aironet card, all devices programmed to the unipolar or bipolar configuration single- or dual-chamber mode had normal pacing and sensing functions and exhibited no effects of electromagnetic interference except for 1 implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This aberration was determined to relate to the design of the investigators' testing apparatus and not to the output of the PDA. The ICD device appropriately identified and labeled the electromagnetic aberration as "noise." CONCLUSIONS We documented no electromagnetic interference caused by the WLAN technology by using in vitro testing of pacemakers and ICDs; however, testing ideally should be completed in vivo to confirm the lack of any clinically important interactions.
Glycogen synthase kinase‐3 is required for optimal de novo synthesis of inositol

Studies have shown that the inositol biosynthetic pathway and the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) are targets of the mood-stabilizing drugs lithium and valproate. However, a relationship between these targets has not been previously described. We hypothesized that GSK-3 may play a role in inositol synthesis, and that loss of GSK-3 may lead to inositol depletion, thus providing a mechanistic link between the two drug targets. Utilizing a yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae gsk-3Delta quadruple-null mutant, in which all four genes encoding homologues of mammalian GSK-3 are disrupted, we tested the hypothesis that GSK-3 is required for de novo inositol biosynthesis. The gsk-3Delta mutant exhibited multiple features of inositol depletion, including defective growth in inositol-lacking medium, decreased intracellular inositol, increased INO1 and ITR1 expression, and decreased levels of phosphatidylinositol. Treatment of wild-type cells with a highly specific GSK-3 inhibitor led to a significant increase in INO1 expression. Supplementation with inositol alleviated the temperature sensitivity of gsk-3Delta. Activity of myo-inositol-3 phosphate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in inositol de novo biosynthesis, was decreased in gsk-3Delta. These results demonstrate for the first time that GSK-3 is required for optimal myo-inositol-3 phosphate synthase activity and de novo inositol biosynthesis, and that loss of GSK-3 activity causes inositol depletion.
Describing and predicting developmental profiles of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood

This longitudinal study considers externalizing behavior problems from ages 5 to 27 (N = 585). Externalizing problem ratings by mothers, fathers, teachers, peers, and self-report were modeled with growth curves. Risk and protective factors across many different domains and time frames were included as predictors of the trajectories. A major contribution of the study is in demonstrating how heterotypic continuity and changing measures can be handled in modeling changes in externalizing behavior over long developmental periods. On average, externalizing problems decreased from early childhood to preadolescence, increased during adolescence, and decreased from late adolescence to adulthood. There was strong nonlinear continuity in externalizing problems over time. Family process, peer process, stress, and individual characteristics predicted externalizing problems beyond the strong continuity of externalizing problems. The model accounted for 70% of the variability in the development of externalizing problems. The model's predicted values showed moderate sensitivity and specificity in prediction of arrests, illegal drug use, and drunk driving. Overall, the study showed that by using changing, developmentally relevant measures and simultaneously taking into account numerous characteristics of children and their living situations, research can model lengthy spans of development and improve predictions of the development of later, severe externalizing problems.
An OpenMP Approach to Modeling Dynamic Earthquake Rupture Along Geometrically Complex Faults on CMP Systems

Chip multiprocessors (CMP) are widely used for high performance computing and are being configured in a hierarchical manner to compose a CMP compute node in a parallel system. OpenMP parallel programming within such a CMP node can take advantage of the globally shared address space and on-chip high inter-core bandwidth and low inter-core latency. In this paper, we use OpenMP to parallelize a sequential earthquake simulation code for modeling spontaneous dynamic earthquake rupture along geometrically complex faults on two CMP systems, IBM POWER5+ system and SUN Opteron server. The experimental results indicate that the OpenMP implementation has the accurate output results and the good scalability on the two CMP systems. Further, we apply the optimization techniques such as large page and processor binding to the OpenMP implementation to achieve up to 7.05% performance improvement on the CMP systems without any code modification.
Nanocoating hybrid polymer films on large quantities of cohesive nanoparticles by molecular layer deposition

The conformal coating of ultra-thin aluminum alkoxide (alucone) polymer films on primary silica and titania nanoparticles using molecular layer deposition (MLD) in a fluidized bed reactor from 100 to 160 °C is described. In situ mass spectrometry revealed that the growth of alucone MLD films was self-limiting as a function of the individual trimethylaluminum and ethylene glycol exposures. The composition and highly conformal alucone films throughout the surface of both silica and titania nanoparticles were confirmed. The highest growth rate was observed at the lowest sample temperature. Primary nanoparticles were coated individually despite their strong tendency to aggregate during fluidization. Based on the results of chemical and thermogravimetric analysis, the value of x in the formula of Al(OCH2CH2O)x was estimated to be 1.9. The calculated film density slightly increased from 2.0 ± 0.1 to 2.2 ± 0.1 g/cm3 with the increasing of temperature from 100 to 160 °C. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
Demonstrating the Stability of Albinterferon Alfa-2b in the Presence of Silicone Oil

ABSTRACT Silicone oil is often used to decrease glide forces in prefilled syringes and cartridges, common primary container closures for biopharmaceutical products. Silicone oil has been linked to inducing protein aggregation ( Diabet Med 1989;6:278; Diabet Care 1987;10:786–790), leading to patient safety and immunogenicity concerns. Because of the silicone oil application process ( Biotech Adv 2007;25:318–324), silicone oil levels tend to vary between individual container closures. Various silicone oil levels were applied to a container closure prior to filling and lyophilization of an albumin and interferon alfa-2b fusion protein (albinterferon alfa-2b). Data demonstrated that high silicone oil levels in combination with intended and stress storage conditions had no impact on protein purity, higher order structure, stability trajectory, or biological activity. Subvisible particulate analysis (1–10 µm range) from active and placebo samples from siliconized glass barrels showed similar particle counts. Increases in solution turbidity readings for both active and placebo samples correlated well with increases in silicone oil levels, suggesting that the particles in solution are related to the presence of silicone oil and not large protein aggregates. Results from this study demonstrate that silicone oil is not always detrimental to proteins; nevertheless, assessing the impact of silicone oil on a product case-by-case basis is still recommended.
“I am Maasai”: Interpreting ethnic parody in Bongo Flava

In the Tanzanian Bongo Flava youth music scene, Abel Motika is a popular artist who uses both verbal and visual markers of Kisongo Maasai ethnicity to style himself as “the Maasai rapper” with the stage name “Mr. Ebbo.” Through analysis of his 2002 song “Mi Mmasai” ‘I am Maasai’, this study investigates his ethnic stylizing in playful use of Maa pronunciation and an understudied Swahili language game known as kinyume ‘backwards style’. The study finds that while Ebbo strategically disrupts the sociolinguistic order that privileges Standard Swahili, the Maasai persona he projects is humorously stylized as unable both to speak Standard Swahili and to engage with the urban lifestyle associated with Tanzania's de-ethnicized Swahili modernity, thereby leaving dominant ideologies of language and ethnicity intact. Moreover, in arguing that Motika's stylization of ethnicity has a contradictory effect, both affirming a local ethnic identity and preserving the logic of ethnolinguistic stereotyping, the study critiques approaches to hip hop that privilige authorial intent and assume linguistic subversiveness. (Swahili, Maa, Bongo Flava, parody, ethnicity, rap, kinyume)*
Selecting the Optimal FM System for Children With Cochlear Implants

Children who use cochlear implants experience significant difficulty hearing speech in the presence of background noise, such as in the classroom. To address these difficulties, audiologists often ...
Internal Net Worth and the Investment Process: An Application to U.S. Agriculture

Recent models of firm investment decisions stressing informational imperfections in capital markets provide a foundation for interpreting evidence that movements in internal finance can predict investment spending, even after one controls for measures of firms' investment opportunities. While such evidence is suggestive, it is often open to other interpretations. We examine these models using data on equipment investment in the U.S. agricultural sector. This sector is particularly interesting because it has experienced large fluctuations in net worth and the profitability of investment, and reasonable measures of net worth can be constructed. Our findings provide support for a class of "internal funds" models of investment under asymmetric information.