cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Slowing Sinus Tachycardia in Heart Transplant Recipients: Is It Time?

In the article published in Revista Espanola de Cardiologia, Barge-Caballero et al report on the results of a single-center retrospective observational study to explore the prognostic significance of the mean resting heart rate (HR) at 1 year after heart transplantation and its temporal trend. The authors concluded that elevated resting HR after heart transplantation is a poor prognostic marker, being associated with increased mortality. This topic is of keen interest to the field of heart transplantation particularly as it questions whether HR slowing medications may be of value for patients with sinus tachycardia. The ‘‘resting HR’’ in the intact heart is predominately determined by vagal influence and hence it is slower than the intrinsic HR. The ‘‘intrinsic HR’’ refers to the HR following complete pharmacologic blockade of the cardiac autonomic system; it has been shown to be related to age, physical fitness and probably to the overall state of health of the myocardium. Over the past few decades, several epidemiological studies have shown an association between elevated resting HR in the intact heart and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the general population, as well as in groups with various cardiovascular diseases. Also, inference from clinical trials has suggested that the mortality benefit from beta-blocker use in patients with acute myocardial infarction or heart failure is at least in part related to the drug-mediated reduction in the resting HR. More recently, novel pharmacologic intervention with the drug ivabradine has targeted elevated resting HR as a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor with promising results. In heart transplantation, transection of the autonomic fibers during transplant surgery has 2 major outcomes: delayed and blunted HR response to exercise due to sympathetic denervation, and elevated resting HR due to vagal denervation. The ‘‘normal’’ range of resting HR in heart transplant recipients is not clearly defined but generally a value between 90 and 110 beats per minute (bpm) is considered acceptable. The relevant unanswered questions in heart transplantation include: a) is the elevated resting HR an
Regulation of the expression of the type‐II collagen gene in periosteum‐derived cells by three members of the transforming growth factor–β superfamily

Although transforming growth factors-beta and bone morphogenetic proteins are both capable of inducing bone formation in vivo, the target cells of their osteoinductive actions may be different. To evaluate periosteal cells as potential targets of the actions of transforming growth factor-beta and bone morphogenetic protein, we investigated the ability of three members of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily to modulate expression of the gene encoding the alpha 1(II) chain of type-II collagen in periosteum-derived cells in vitro. The results demonstrate that transforming growth factor-beta mRNA is expressed by periosteum-derived cells and that exogenous transforming growth factor-beta 1 acts to upregulate expression of the gene encoding collagen alpha 1(II). This effect was observed as early as 12 hours after administration of transforming growth factor-beta 1 but was not observed in response to bone morphogenetic proteins 3 or 4. No synergy was demonstrated between transforming growth factor-beta 1 and bone morphogenetic protein-3 in the ability to upregulate expression of the collagen alpha 1(II) gene. These results support the hypothesis that committed periosteal mesenchymal cells are cellular targets of the action of transforming growth factor-beta.
The Jovian ionosphere: Composition and temperatures

Abstract The problem of ionosphere formation in the Jovian upper atmosphere has been reexamined with a view to estimating the electron and ion densities and their temperature. It is found that the total ion (=electron) density and the proportion of the heavier H3+ ion is much dependent upon the rate of radiative association of H+ to H2 yielding H3+. For a nominal value of the corresponding rate coefficient (10−13 cm3/sec) the maximum electron density is reduced by a factor of 1 3.5 relative to that for no radiative association. Furthermore, the ionosphere contains predominantly H3+ up to about 400 km. There is, however, a complete thermal equilibrium between the neutrals, electrons, and ions. This is in sharp contrast with the terrestrial case, but is easily understood in terms of reduced heating of the ambient electrons, and more efficient cooling mechanisms in the Jovian ionosphere.
Using the Knowledge Base of Health Services Research to Redefine Health Care Systems

This Perspective discusses 12 key facts derived from 50 years of health services research and argues that this knowledge base can stimulate innovative thinking about how to make health care systems safer, more efficient, more cost effective, and more patient centered, even as they respond to the needs of diverse communities.
A comparison of factors associated with uninformed and informed death penalty opinions

The study shows that while there are some differences in the factors that are significantly related to uninformed versus informed death penalty opinions, there also are significant factors common to both, that is, certain “core” factors. Whether informed or not, the more subjects favored the death penalty, the more likely they were to be white and to agree with revenge, incapacitation, and general deterrence items (the converse was true for opponents). Death penalty knowledge only made a difference for crime victims (they were less likely to favor the death penalty) and for death penalty proponents (they were less likely to agree that there is a danger of executing an innocent person and that whether a person receives the death penalty depends on such things as the make-up of the jury; the converse was true for opponents). The results of the study suggest that death penalty information is not likely to change core factors, which appear to be assimilated biasedly to support initial positions.
Synthesis of plasminogen activator by bovine corneal endothelial cells.

Plasminogen activator activity in purified cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells grown in tissue culture was demonstrated by a solid-phase assay based on the hydrolysis of [125I]fibrin. Plasminogen activation appears to take place on the surface of the corneal cells and not as a result of secretion of the activator. Only a small fraction of plasminogen activator, however, is associated with the membrane; 90% is located in the cytosol. As a result, after cell death or lysis, a large amount of plasminogen activator is released into the media. Plasminogen activator can be detected within 2 hr of adding plasminogen-containing serum to proliferating cells; fibrinolysis is maximal within 12 hr. The extent of fibrinolysis is dependent on the plasminogen concentration in the serum. Considerably more plasminogen activator is associated with endothelial cells derived from the cornea than with cells derived from bovine aorta. The clotting factor thrombin markedly inhibits corneal endothelial cell-mediated fibrinolysis. Since thrombin has no effect on the partially purified activator, inhibition must result from a direct effect on these cells. The ability to study the regulation of the synthesis and distribution of plasminogen activator by cultured corneal endothelial cells should aid in determining the normal physiology of fibrinolysis in the anterior chamber. In addition, this technique can be used to study fibrinolysis in other ocular tissues.
High-energy test of quantum electrodynamics

Thirty-five directly produced electron pairs have been observed by following 150 m of 150-GeV muon track length in nuclear emulsion. These pairs have been compared with the pairs produced by 200-GeV protons and 15.8-GeV/c muons in terms of (i) their total energy distribution, (ii) the fractional transfer of the primary energy to the pairs, (iii) the energy partition between the two members, (iv) the angular divergence, (v) the invariant mass of the electron pairs, and (vi) the net transverse-momentum distribution of each pair. Present theories disagree with the experimental results.
Long-term droughtiness and drought tolerance of eastern US forests over five decades

Abstract Droughts can influence forest composition directly by limiting water or indirectly by intensifying other stressors that affect establishment, growth, and mortality. Using community assemblages of eastern US tree species and drought tolerance characteristics assessed from literature, we examine recent drought conditions in relation to the spatial distribution of species and their tolerance to drought. First we calculate and compare a cumulative drought severity index (CDSI) for the conterminous US for the periods 1960–1986 and 1987–2013 using climate division Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) values and a gridded self-calibrated PDSI dataset. This comparison indicates that drought conditions in the East tend to be less frequent and generally less severe than those in the West, and that the West has had a large increase in CDSI values in the latter period. Then we focus on the past and potential future role of droughtiness in eastern forests, which are relatively more diverse than western forests but have individual species that are uniquely affected by drought conditions. We found that eastern US forests tend to be relatively balanced in the composition of drought-tolerant and -intolerant species and that drought conditions are relatively uncommon in the East. Understanding the composition and distribution of drought tolerance levels within forests is crucial when managing for the impacts of drought (e.g., managing for survival), especially given the expected rise of drought in the future.
Towards a trustworthy PF scheduler for cellular data networks

Cellular data networks are proliferating to address the need for ubiquitous connectivity. To cope with the increasing number of subscribers and with the spatio-temporal variations of the wireless signals, current cellular networks use opportunistic schedulers, such as the Proportional Fairness scheduler (PF), to maximize network throughput while maintaining fairness among users. Such scheduling decisions are based on channel quality metrics and Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) feedback reports provided by the User's Equipment (UE). Implicit in current networks is the a priori trust on every UE's feedback. Malicious UEs can thus exploit this trust to disrupt service by intelligently faking their reports. This work proposes a trustworthy version of the PF scheduler (called TPF) to mitigate the effects of such Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. In brief, based on the channel quality reported by the UE, we assign a probability to possible ARQ feedbacks. We then use the probability associated with the actual ARQ report to assess the UE's trustworthiness. We adapt the scheduling mechanism to give higher priority to more trusted users. Our evaluations show that TPF (i) does not induce any performance degradation under benign settings, and (ii) it completely mitigates the effects of the activity of malicious UEs.
Calcium channel blocking agents in congestive heart failure

C alcium channel blocking agents have had a great impact on the practice of cardiology. These agents have added significantly to the treatment of angina pectoris, supraventricular arrhythmias, and hypertension. Less well described is the impact of calcium channel blocking drugs in the treatment of congestive heart failure. In this report, I will briefly review (1) calcium utilization as it pertains to the cardiovascular system, (2) the mechanism of action of calcium channel blockers, and (3) results of studies utilizing calcium charnel blockers in dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In addition, I will discuss the theoretic benefits of calcium channel blocking drugs to prevent myocardial ischemia in the cardiomyopathies.
Summer Food Limitation Reduces Brook and Rainbow Trout Biomass in a Southern Appalachian Stream

Abstract We assessed salmonid production in summer in a second- and third-order montane stream in eastern Tennessee in 1987. We sampled three stream sections, one containing exclusively brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, one containing exclusively rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, and a third with a mixture of both species. Population estimates for July and October 1987 revealed reductions in biomass over the 4-month period that ranged from 31 to 49%, whereas population densities declined by 32–46% during the same period. Total net production during the 4-month period was low and ranged from 0.38 to 0.45 g/m2. From June through September, the mean number of prey items per stomach ranged from 4.2 to 29.9, whereas the mean relative weight of stomach contents ranged from 0.12 to 1.34 mg dry weight per gram wet weight offish flesh. There was a strong positive correlation between the mean relative weight of stomach contents and the mean condition factor for a given date. Calculated energy intake was below the...
Simultaneous recording from several neurones in an invertebrate central nervous system

THE ability to monitor activity in many neurones simultaneously might provide a powerful tool for solving certain problems in neurobiology. There are several changes in the optical properties of a neurone that occur during an action potential1–3 that might be used in an apparatus that could monitor spike activity in many neurones simultaneously. Although the changes in intrinsic (native) optical properties have been useful in other instances where an optical measurement of membrane potential was desired, larger signals were needed for this application. Therefore, a search was begun for extrinsic probe molecules which could serve as sensitive molecular transducers in stained membranes, transforming changes in membrane potential into changes in light intensity4,5. In earlier experiments we demonstrated changes in fluorescence6 and absorption7 during action potentials in individual neurones of a segmental ganglion from the leech, Hirudo medicinalis. In those experiments the ganglion was stained with a merocyanine dye8. In the experiments described here, carried out on the supraoesophageal ganglion of the barnacle, Balanus nubilus, the absorption change of a new merocyanine-oxazolone dye9,10 was used. In measurements on squid giant axons, the signal obtained with the new dye was five times larger. In addition, the photodynamic damage5,11 associated with photochemical effects of intense illumination in the presence of dye and oxygen was 100 times smaller with the new dye.
Thermodynamics of Protein Interactions with Urea and Guanidinium Hydrochloride

Urea and guanidinium hydrochloride (GdmCl) are used as chemical denaturing agents in the study of protein folding and stability. It has been known for a long time that the free energy of unfolding estimated using the linear extrapolation model (LEM) for the GdmCl-induced unfolding is often higher than the corresponding values obtained using LEM for the urea-induced unfolding. It was noted by Nick Pace that “This disagreement is puzzling and deserves further studies” (Pace, C. N. Methods Enzymol. 1986, 131, 266). This paper summarizes thermodynamic information on the denaturing action of urea and GdmCl that may explain why LEM analysis of GdmCl-induced unfolding in many cases does not provide a “true” stability of the protein. The answer to the puzzle seems to be the nonapplicability of LEM for the data analysis obtained using GdmCl-induced denaturation.
Synthesis of new metal-containing side-chain monomers and polymers

New metal-containing vinyl monomers, hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-carboxy cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl phenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate and hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-ferrocenoyl phenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate, and the corresponding homopolymers and random copolymers with hydroxy monomer hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-hydroxyphenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate were synthesized. The compounds were characterized by1H NMR; their thermal behavior was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry. Monomers and polymers containing the ferrocene unit melt at lower temperatures than those derived from the cyclopentadienyl managanese tricarbonyl moiety. The melting temperatures of the monomers and polymers ranged from 399 to about 515 K, Both monomers and polymers failed to exhibit mesogenic behavior. Values ofMn,Mw,Mw/Mn, and degree of polymerization were obtained by gel permeation chromatography. TheMn ranged from 16,500 for the copolymer containing hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-ferrocenoyl phenyl)phenyl] benzoyloxy}methacrylate and hydroxy monomer hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-hydroxyphenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate at a 1:3 ratio to 26,000 for the copolymer containing hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-carboxy cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl phenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate and hydroxy monomer hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-hydroxyphenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate at a 1:3 ratio.Mw/Mn ranged from 1.6 in the case of the copolymer containing hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-carboxy cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl phenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate and hydroxy monomer hexyl-6-oxy-{4′-[4″-(4‴-hydroxyphenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate at a 1:3 ratio to 2.2 in the case of poly(hexyl-6-oxy{4′-[4″-(4‴-carboxy cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl phenyl)phenyl]benzoyloxy}methacrylate).
Persistence of shocks to large distances in the solar wind

Present hydrodynamic models of solar wind streams predict that interactions will cause interplanetary shocks to decay and large-scale structures to coalesce and smooth out, with a decay length of 10-15 AU for moderate or small-amplitude shocks. The Pioneer 10 plasma data, extending 1-30 AU, are examined in the light of such predictions. It is found that coalescence of streams into a single stream per solar rotation does occur, in general, but that considerable structure remains by 30 AU. The leading edge of a stream often exhibits a velocity jump of greater than 20 km/s; many of these may be shocks. There is a characteristic velocity-density-temperature signature of these distant streams which differs from the close-in double-shock signature. A unique transient was seen in July 1982, at 28 AU, with a velocity jump of about 235 km/s.
Decreased Serum Free Thyroxine Concentration in Patients Treated with Diphenylhydantoin1

ABSTRACT When diphenylhydantoin is added to serum in vitro the free thyroxine fraction increases. The apparent magnitude of this effect is diminished by diluting serum prior to analysis. In contrast to the in vitro effect of diphenylhydantoin, there was no significant difference in the free thyroxine fraction of undiluted serum obtained from diphenylhydantoin treated and control patients. Administration of diphenylhydantoin to normal subjects also failed to increase the free thyroxine fraction. Because of a decrease in total hormonal iodine concentration in the serum, the free thyroxine concentration in diphenylhydantoin treated patients and experimental subjects was lower than in their respective controls. Electrophoretic analysis of serum from diphenylhydantoin treated patients showed that a decreased fraction of total serum thyroxine was bound to thyroxine binding globulin. Since free thyroxine concentration was depressed despite the competitive effects of diphenylhydantoin, it appears that the mainten...
Cationic 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin Fully Intercalates at 5‘-CG-3‘ Steps of Duplex DNA in Solution†

The interaction of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (T4MPyP4+) with the oligonucleotide DNA duplex [d(GCACGTGC)]2 was studied by two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy, optical absorbance, circular dichroism, and molecular dynamics simulation employing particle mesh Ewald methods. T4MPyP4+ is one of the largest aromatic molecules for which intercalative binding to DNA has been proposed, although this has been called into question by recent X-ray crystallographic work [Lipscomb et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 2818−2823]. T4MPyP4+ binding to [d(GCACGTGC)]2 produced a single set of (mostly) upfield-shifted DNA resonances in slow exchange with the resonances of the free DNA. Intra- and intermolecular NOEs observed in the complex showed that the porphyrin intercalates at the central 5‘-CG-3‘ step of the DNA duplex without disrupting the flanking base pairs. Absorption and circular dichroism spectra of the complex also support intercalative binding. Molecular dynamics simulations (using explici...
Characterization of novel glycolipids from the giant cockroach (Blaberus colosseus).

Abstract A novel class of glycolipids, assigned the trivial name blaberosides, was isolated from whole head tissues of the giant cockroach (Blaberus colosseus). The class consists of two closely related families, blaberoside I and blaberoside II, each containing species differing by 26 atomic mass units. The structure of these gentiobiose-based glycoglycerolipids was elucidated by chromatographic behavior, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and analysis of chemical degradation products and derivatives. Species in the blaberoside I family have been identified as 2-O-[6'-O-(6"-O-3-hydroxy-11-eicosenoyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-bet a-D- glucopyranosyl]-3-(hexadecyloxy)-1-(3-hydroxy-11-eicosenoyl)-1,2-p ropanediol (blaberoside Ia) and 2-O-[6'-O-(6"-O-3-hydroxy-11-eicosenoyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-bet a- D-glucopyranosyl]-3-(6-octadeceloxy)-1-(3-hydroxy-11-eicosenoyl )-1,2- propanediol (blaberoside Ib). Two smaller homologs of the blaberoside II family were discerned to be 2-O-[6'-O-(6"-O-3-hydroxy-11- eicosenoyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3-(hex ade cyloxy)- 1,2-propanediol (blaberoside IIa), and 2-O-[6'-O-(6"-O-3-hydroxy-11-eicosenoyl-beta-D- glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3-(4-octadeceloxy)-1,2-prop anediol (blaberoside IIb). These compounds are unique because they are animal origin glyceroglycolipids with a highly flexible gentiobiose backbone, and a beta-linkage of the carbohydrate to the glycerol ether at the 2 position rather than the usual 1 position.
Villainless quest: Myth, metaphor, and dream in “Chariots of Fire”;

Since the British produced film “Chariots of Fire”; was extraordinarily appealing to American audiences, this essay explores the rhetorical factors which underlie its popularity. The essay argues that: (1) the central characters symbolize the two contradictory facets of the American Dream described by Fisher, both which are reaffirmed; and, (2) the film depicts multiple romantic quests, all of which end successfully. These two strategies make the film function metaphorically and mythically for an American audience to provide emotional catharsis and psychological reinforcement.
Surgery of Gastroesophageal Reflux

During the last 20 years, 262 patients were diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) at La Timone Children's Hospital, Marseille, France. Seventy-eight patients (60 infants and 18 children) were treated operatively. Both newer investigations such as scintiscan and Ph measurements, as well as standard ones, such as barium esophagogram and esophagoscopy, failed to demonstrate a precise relationship between reflux and symptoms. Selection of patients for surgery depends on clinical symptoms linked to GER, for example, failure of a 3-week medical trial, association with anatomic disorders such as hiatal hernia, and respiratory complications proven to originate from GER. Numerous surgical procedures have been described. The best appears to be the Nissen fundoplication associated with gastropexy.
Genomic copy number analysis in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment: An ADNI study

Copy number variants (CNVs) are DNA sequence alterations, resulting in gains (duplications) and losses (deletions) of genomic segments. They often overlap genes and may play important roles in disease. Only one published study has examined CNVs in late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), and none have examined mild cognitive impairment (MCI). CNV calls were generated in 288 AD, 183 MCI, and 184 healthy control (HC) non-Hispanic Caucasian Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative participants. After quality control, 222 AD, 136 MCI, and 143 HC participants were entered into case/control association analyses, including candidate gene and whole genome approaches. Although no excess CNV burden was observed in cases (AD and/or MCI) relative to controls (HC), gene-based analyses revealed CNVs overlapping the candidate gene CHRFAM7A, as well as CSMD1, SLC35F2, HNRNPCL1, NRXN1, and ERBB4 regions, only in cases. Replication in larger samples is important, after which regions detected here may be promising targets for resequencing.
Strange attractors with one direction of instability

We give simple conditions that guarantee, for strongly dissipative maps, the existence of strange attractors with a single direction of instability and certain controlled behaviors. Only the d= 2 case is treated in this paper, although our approach is by no means limited to two phase-dimensions. We develop a dynamical picture for the attractors in this class, proving they have many of the statistical properties associated with chaos: positive Lyapunov exponents, existence of SRB measures, and exponential decay of correlations. Other results include the geometry of fractal critical sets, nonuniform hyperbolic behavior, symbolic coding of orbits, and formulas for topological entropy.
From Empire to Community: A New Approach to International Relations

From Empire to Community: A New Approach to International Relations. By Amitai Etzioni. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. 272p. $29.95.Amitai Etzioni is a seasoned political sociologist and leading voice in the communitarian program to offset the narcissistic and alienating individualism of liberal modernity. Communitarians emphasize the affective bonds that make community an indispensable feature of the human condition and, thus, the local conditions within which individual human beings are best able to understand and act on the common good. Notwithstanding republican antecedents, communitarians have effectively abandoned the universalistic tendencies of cosmopolitan Enlightenment republicanism to rights-minded liberals. In doing so, most communitarians have neglected international relations.
Effects of Visual and Verbal Interaction on Unintentional Interpersonal Coordination.

Previous research has demonstrated that people's movements can become unintentionally coordinated during interpersonal interaction. The current study sought to uncover the degree to which visual and verbal (conversation) interaction constrains and organizes the rhythmic limb movements of coactors. Two experiments were conducted in which pairs of participants completed an interpersonal puzzle task while swinging handheld pendulums with instructions that minimized intentional coordination but facilitated either visual or verbal interaction. Cross-spectral analysis revealed a higher degree of coordination for conditions in which the pairs were visually coupled. In contrast, verbal interaction alone was not found to provide a sufficient medium for unintentional coordination to occur, nor did it enhance the unintentional coordination that emerged during visual interaction. The results raise questions concerning differences between visual and verbal informational linkages during interaction and how these differences may affect interpersonal movement production and its coordination.
The Role of Surgical Therapy for Pulmonary Vein Atresia in Childhood

The outcome for children with pulmonary vein atresia has been historically poor. This report describes clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of primary and secondary pulmonary vein atresia. All patients undergoing surgery for pulmonary vein atresia at Children’s Hospital Boston from 1 January 2005 to 1 January 2009 were identified. The data available for analysis included demographic characteristics, findings based on cardiac catheterization and other imaging, clinical information, operative surgical intervention, and pulmonary vein histology. The study-specific information included the calculated number of atretic pulmonary veins as well as surgical interventions performed during the study period. The study end points included successful relief of pulmonary vein atresia, recurrence of pulmonary atresia or stenosis, overall pulmonary vein disease progression, and patient survival. A total of 16 patients with one or more pulmonary vein atresias were identified in the cardiac surgery registry database. Of these 16 patients, 5 had primary pulmonary atresia, and 11 had secondary atresia after repair of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. Surgical recanalization of atretic pulmonary veins was achieved for more than 80% of the patients. At the most recent follow-up assessment, 7 (44%) of the 16 patients had recurrence of atresia. Five of the patients had development of new atresia in other previously healthy pulmonary veins. The median follow-up period was 4 months for primary and 17 months for secondary pulmonary vein atresia. The three main predictors of pulmonary vein disease progression after surgery were the presence of underlying lung disease (P = 0.036), prematurity (P = 0.035), and a history of recurrent pulmonary vein atresia. The overall mortality rate for the patients with primary or secondary pulmonary vein atresia was 56% at the most recent follow-up assessment (100% for the patients with primary vein atresia and 36% for the patients with secondary vein atresia). Conclusions: Surgical recanalization of pulmonary vein atresia is possible, but prognosis remains poor. Recurrence of atresia can take place as early as a few months in the presence of underlying lung disease, prematurity, or history of recurrent pulmonary vein atresia. Further research is needed to identify mechanisms for attaining and sustaining pulmonary vein patency after surgery.
Temperature-Aware Scheduling and Assignment for Hard Real-Time Applications on MPSoCs

Increasing integrated circuit (IC) power densities and temperatures may hamper multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) use in hard real-time systems. This paper formalizes the temperature-aware real-time MPSoC assignment and scheduling problem and presents an optimal phased steady-state mixed integer linear programming-based solution that considers the impact of scheduling and assignment decisions on MPSoC thermal profiles to directly minimize the chip peak temperature. We also introduce a flexible heuristic framework for task assignment and scheduling that permits system designers to trade off accuracy for running time when solving large problem instances. Finally, for task sets with sufficient slack, we show that inserting idle times between task executions can further reduce the peak temperature of the MPSoC quite significantly.
Analytical and clinical validation of the Immulite 1000 hCG assay for quantitative analysis in urine.

Background The Siemens Immulite hCG assay detects all major hCG variants in serum. Currently, this assay is only FDA approved for qualitative measurement of hCG in urine.
Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis: Indications and Technique

Restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis (RP/IPAA) have been the procedures of choice for patients with ulcerative colitis, or familial adenomatous polyposis, and those with other diagnoses who require surgery. The options for this procedure are J, S, or W ileal pelvic pouch anastomosed by either stapled or hand-sewn technique. J-pouch is the preferred technique of most surgeons. The stapled IPAA is quicker, more secure, and safer, with better function, while the hand-sewn IPAA allows removal of the diseased anal transitional zone. Recently, in most of the centers, the use of a hand-sewn IPAA has been limited to those with dysplasia or lower rectum cancer and to when a stapled IPAA has failed. Although leaving intact rectal mucosa after stapled IPAA could be a potential concern in the development of dysplasia or cancer, it has been shown that anal transitional zone preservation rarely leads to the development of cancer. This review describes indications and techniques of RP/IPAA.
Sea urchin envenomation

A 25-year-old female was walking along a shallow tropical reef when she felt a sharp pain in her right great toe. Upon exiting the water, she noted multiple dark spines protruding from the foot. In...
Petit and Grand Ensemble Monte Carlo Calculations of the Thermodynamics of the Lattice Gas

A direct Monte Carlo method for estimating the chemical potential in the petit canonical ensemble was applied to the simple cubic Ising-like lattice gas. The method is based on a simple relationship between the chemical potential and the potential energy distribution in a lattice gas at equilibrium as derived independently by Widom, and Jackson and Klein. Results are presented here for the chemical potential at various compositions and temperatures above and below the zero field ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic critical points. The same lattice gas model was reconstructed in the form of a restricted grand canonical ensemble and results at several temperatures were compared with those from the petit canonical ensemble. The agreement was excellent in these cases.
The effects of atmospheric sulfur on the radiative properties of convective clouds: a limited area modeling study

Abstract. Convective clouds in tropical areas can be sensitive to the atmospheric sulfate loading, particu- larly during enhanced sulfate episodes. This assertion is supported by simulations with a high resolution lim- ited area non-hydrostatic model (LAN) employing a detailed sulfate-cloud microphysics scheme, applied to estimate the effects of sulfate on convective clouds in a case study from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmo- sphere Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experi- ment (TOGA COARE). Results show that a change in sulfate loading for scenarios using the minimum to the maximum observed values produces a change in the average net flux of shortwave radiation above clouds. This time-average change was estimated between -1.1 and-0.3 Wm -2 over the integration domain. Introduction In addition to the direct atmospheric radiative forc- ing [Charlson et al., 1992], sulfate aerosols interact with clouds, primarly by providing cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). An increase of sulfate in the atmosphere pro-
Effects of osmotic stress on mast cell vesicles of the beige mouse

The large size of the vesicles of beige mouse peritoneal mast cells (4 μm in diameter) facilitated the direct observation of the individual osmotic behavior of vesicles. The vesicle diameter increased as much as 73% when intact cells were perfused with a 10 mM pH buffer solution; the swelling of the vesicle membranes exceeded that of the insoluble vesicle gel matrix, which resulted in the formation of a clear space between the optically dense gel matrix and the vesicle membrane. Hypertonic solutions shrank intact vesicles of lysed cells in a nonideal manner, suggesting a limit to the compressibility of the gel matrix. The nonideality at high osmotic strengths can be adequately explained as the consequence of an excluded volume and/or a three-dimensional gel-matrix spring. The observed osmotic activity of the vesicles implies that the great majority of the histamine known to be present is reversibly bound to the gel matrix. This binding allows vesicles to store a large quantity of transmitter without doing osmotic work. The large size of the vesicles also facilitated the measurement of the kinetics of release as a collection of individual fusion events. Capacitance measurements in beige mast cells revealed little difference in the kinetics of release in hypotonie, isotonic, and hypertonic solutions, thus eliminating certain classes of models based on the osmotic theory of exocytosis for mast cells.
Transport of a carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene, from particulates to lipid bilayers: A model for the fate of particle-adsorbed polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons which are retained in the lungs

Fluorescence spectroscopic methods were used to investigate the effects of adsorption of benzo[a]pyrene to particulate matter on its rate of uptake into model membranes composed of dipalmitoyl L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine. From these experiments we conclude the following: 1. Adsorption of benzo[a]pyrene to four types of asbestos (anthophyllite, crocidolite, chrysotile, and amosite) and a variety of non-fibrous particles (hematite, silica, titanium dioxide, porous glass and talc) results in increased rates of membrane uptake when compared with aqueous suspensions of benzo[a]pyrene microcrystals. Benzo[a]pyrene was not released from carbon black. 2. Asbestos-adsorbed benzo[a]pyrene was transferred to the membranes most rapidly. 3. Adsorption of benzo[a]pyrene to the surface of the particles is necessary for its enhanced transport into membranes. That is, simple mixtures of benzo[a]pyrene microcrystals and particulates do not show enhanced transport. 4. Particle-enhanced transport of benzo[a]pyrene is not correlated with the effects of the particles on vesicle integrity, binding of vesicles to the particles, or the concentrations of either particles or vesicles. The rate limiting step for transport of benzo[a]pyrene into vesicles appears to be its rate of desorption from the surface of the particle. Following desorption, membrane uptake of benzo[a]pyrene is rapid.
Conformational Dynamics of the αM3 Transmembrane Helix during Acetylcholine Receptor Channel Gating

Muscle acetylcholine receptors are synaptic ion channels that “gate” between closed- and open-channel conformations. We used Φ-value analysis to probe the transition state of the diliganded gating reaction with regard to residues in the M3, membrane-spanning helix of the muscle acetylcholine receptor α-subunit. Φ (a fraction between 1 and 0) parameterizes the extent to which a mutation changes the opening versus the closing rate constant and, for a linear reaction mechanism, the higher the Φ-value, the “earlier” the gating motion. In the upper half of αM3 the gating motions of all five tested residues were temporally correlated (Φ ≈ 0.30) and serve to link structural changes occurring at the middle of the M2, pore-lining helix with those occurring at the interface of the extracellular and transmembrane domains. αM3 belongs to a complex and diverse set of synchronously moving parts that change structure relatively late in the channel-opening process. The propagation of the gating Brownian conformational cascade has a complex spatial distribution in the transmembrane domain.
BK virus infection in renal transplant recipients

BK virus (BKV) is increasingly being recognized as an important pathogen among renal transplant recipients. To date, only limited information is known about BKV infections in this population; definitive data regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of BKV infection are lacking. Therefore, further investigations are needed. This article reviews our current understanding of BKV infections among renal transplant patients.
Imaging techniques in spinal cord injury.

Background Spinal imaging plays a critical role in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). In recent years there has been increasing interest in the development of advanced imaging techniques to provide pertinent microstructural and metabolic information that is not provided by conventional modalities. Methods This review details the pathophysiological structural changes that accompany SCI, as well as their imaging correlates. The potential clinical applications of novel spinal cord imaging techniques to SCI are presented. Results There are a variety of novel advanced imaging techniques that are principally focused on the microstructural and/or biochemical function of the spinal cord, and can potentially be applied to traumatic SCI, including diffusion tensor imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. These techniques are presently in various stages of development, including some whose applications are primarily limited to laboratory investigation, whereas others are being actively used in clinical practice. Conclusion Advanced imaging of the spinal cord has tremendous potential to provide patient-specific physiological information about the status of cord integrity and health. Advanced spinal cord imaging is still at early stages of development and clinical implementation but is likely to play an increasingly important role in the management of spinal cord health in the foreseeable future.
The electroretinogram of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae

Abstract 1. 1. We have previously found that two components, the off-transient and the sustained component, of the electroretinogram (ERG) recorded from the eye of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae exhibit circadian rhythms in amplitude (Wills et al. , 1985). 2. 2. Analysis of the intensity-response functions of the two rhythmic components reveals that the circadian modulation of this visual system involves at least two independent regulatory processes. 3. 3. Surgical and pharmacological manipulations suggest anatomically distinct sites of origin for the off-transient and the sustained component. 4. 4. The results suggest that in this system the circadian pacemaker regulates visual processing both peripherally, at the level of the photoreceptors, and centrally, at the source of the off-transient.
Fcells Value in Sympatheetomized-Splenectomized Dogs after Hemorrhage.

SummaryIn 6 out of 25 experiments on sympathectomized - splenectomized dogs, the posthemorrhage Fcells factor decreases to below the control range. The constancy of Fcells factor following hemorrhage in splenectomized dogs is partially due to sympathetic activity.
Differences in the pattern of presentation and treatment of proximal and distal gastric cancer: results of the 2001 gastric patient care evaluation.

Background While the overall incidence of gastric cancer has declined in the United States of America, the incidence of proximal gastric cancers has increased. The purpose of this analysis was to highlight key differences between proximal and distal gastric cancer as they relate to presentation and treatment.
Measures and the distributional φ-transform

We give a characterization of measures in terms of the boundary behaviour of the φ-transform and obtain results on the almost everywhere convergence of the φ-transform at the boundary.
Thermodynamic Properties of Compressed Solid Hydrogen

Abstract The high-pressure thermodynamic properties of molecular and metallic hydrogen are calculated from the fundamental viewpoint of statistical mechanics. In the molecular solid phase the interaction between hydrogen molecules is taken to be an angle-dependent de Boer repulsion, fitted to the theoretical results of Hirschfelder, Magnasco, Mason, McWeeny, and Musso, with spherical attractions as calculated by Margenau. Thermodynamic properties for the denser metallic phase are obtained from an improved self-consistent version of the Wigner-Huntington calculation, in which the correlations due to electronic repulsions are more closely approximated and in which the Kohn-Sham local exchange is used. By comparing the Gibbs free energies of the molecular solid and the metal, we predict a phase transition linking the two at 840 kbars, well within the reach of several experiments now being designed.
Variational principles for the transonic airfoil problem

Abstract The transonic airfoil problem is formulated, and associated variational principles are constructed. Both the full potential form of the governing equations and small disturbance theory are considered. Variational functional are developed for the full potential equation using a modified Plateau integral and also directly from the continuity equation. A simpler nonlinear functional is obtained for the small disturbance approximation by direct divergence manipulations to a weak solution form of the Galerkin requirement. For slightly supercritical flows, iterative methods and Mach number perturbation techniques lead to simpler but less general variational principles. Appropriate finite element formulations are developed using the principles.
HIV with Multiple Gene Deletions as a Live Attenuated Vaccine for AIDS

Most viral vaccines currently in use in humans are live attenuated strains of virus that lack pathogenic potential. In general, such live attenuated vaccines induce the strongest longest-lasting immunity. Live attenuated strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) have not been previously considered as vaccines for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) because of an inability to envision how their safety could be adequately assured. This report describes a means for making live, nonpathogenic strains of SIVmac and HIV-1 that cannot revert to a virulent form and a stepwise scheme for demonstrating their safety. Replication-competent, multiply deleted derivatives that are currently being tested are missing combinations of auxiliary genes (nef, vpr, vif, vpx, vpu) and certain control elements in the negative regulatory element (NRE) of the long terminal repeat (LTR). Since these genomic regions are in large part conserved among the SIVs and HIVs, they are likely to be important for the virus life cycle in vivo. Consistent with this line of reasoning, a replication-competent nef deletion mutant of SIVmac apparently has lost most or all of its pathogenic potential, yet it still induces strong immune responses. Multiply deleted derivatives of SIVmac and HIV-1 will have to be extensively tested in animal models prior to moving a promising HIV-1 candidate to initial trials in high-risk human volunteers. Definitive evidence for safety and general acceptance for this approach can only evolve gradually over a prolonged period of time.
Frequency of Nonallelic Homologous Recombination Is Correlated with Length of Homology: Evidence that Ectopic Synapsis Precedes Ectopic Crossing-Over

Genomic disorders constitute a class of diseases that are associated with DNA rearrangements resulting from region-specific genome instability, that is, genome architecture incites genome instability. Nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR) or crossing-over in meiosis between sequences that are not in allelic positions (i.e., paralogous sequences) can result in recurrent deletions or duplications causing genomic disorders. Previous studies of NAHR have focused on description of the phenomenon, but it remains unclear how NAHR occurs during meiosis and what factors determine its frequency. Here we assembled two patient cohorts with reciprocal genomic disorders; deletion associated Smith-Magenis syndrome and duplication associated Potocki-Lupski syndrome. By assessing the full spectrum of rearrangement types from the two cohorts, we find that complex rearrangements (those with more than one breakpoint) are more prevalent in copy-number gains (17.7%) than in copy-number losses (2.3%); an observation that supports a role for replicative mechanisms in complex rearrangement formation. Interestingly, for NAHR-mediated recurrent rearrangements, we show that crossover frequency is positively associated with the flanking low-copy repeat (LCR) length and inversely influenced by the inter-LCR distance. To explain this, we propose that the probability of ectopic chromosome synapsis increases with increased LCR length, and that ectopic synapsis is a necessary precursor to ectopic crossing-over.