cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Seventh Competency

Background: Disclosure of error is gaining acceptance as an ethical imperative in health care. Despite this, residency training programs do not commonly address this in their curricula, and competence in the identification and disclosure of adverse events and medical error is typically not assessed. Summary: Although aspects of the identification, disclosure, and apology for medical error can be subsumed under existing competencies, the skills required in this area are in many ways fundamentally different from anything else physicians are taught. Conclusions: We propose that the identification of medical error recognition and disclosure be recognized as a seventh core competency and we suggest that residency program directors be invited to develop innovative approaches to teaching and assessing competence in this area. This will benefit training programs, residents, and ultimately society and the patients that we serve.
A Review of the Multilevel Marketing Phenomenon

A recent and rapidly growing phenomenon is Multilevel Marketing. These organizations also often call themselves direct marketers (direct selling organizations) or network marketers. The major diffe...
All-optical waveguide switching

We present a tutorial review of all-optical switching in fibre and integrated optics waveguides. These switching devices require non-linear refractive index changes in single or coupled waveguides, and involve either the low-power guided modes of the structure or soliton-type waves guided, emitted or captured by waveguides. We discuss the physical principles involved in these all-optical switching schemes, material requirements, recent experiments and limitations. A representative rather than comprehensive list of references is provided.
Variables influencing water-surface slopes in gravel-bed streams at bankfull stage

The relationship between water-surface slope and 12 hydraulic variables was examined for a reach scale and a more local scale, using data from 12 reaches. Measurements of width, depth, velocity, slope, and roughness elements were made on 12 reaches of gravel-bed streams at bankfull stage. All of the reaches have fairly well-developed riffle-pool sequences and are either straight or braided in channel pattern. Measurements were made at numerous locations within each reach so that the influence of hydraulic and resistance variables on water-surface slope could be examined both within and among reaches. Results show that roughness elements and resistance coefficients correlate most highly with water-surface slope. Bed particle size correlates well with water-surface slope at both reach and local scales. The magnitude of bed undulations correlates well with slope at the scale of a reach. In the type of stream channels examined, the important components of resistance in the channels are also the most important influences on water-surface slope.
A Controllable Membrane-Type Humidifier for Fuel Cell Applications—Part II: Controller Design, Analysis and Implementation

A membrane-based gas humidification apparatus was employed to actively manage the amount of water vapor entrained in the reactant gas supplied to a fuel cell stack. The humidification system utilizes a gas bypass and a series of heaters to achieve accurate and fast humidity and temperature control. A change in fuel cell load induces a reactant mass flow rate disturbance to this humidification system. If not well regulated, this disturbance creates undesirable condensation and evaporation dynamics, both to the humidification system and the fuel cell stack. Therefore, controllers were devised, tuned, and employed for temperature reference tracking and disturbance rejection. Two heater controller types were explored: on-off (thermostatic) and variable (proportional integral), to examine the ability of the feedback system to achieve the control objectives with minimal hardware and software complexities. The coordination of the heaters and the bypass valve is challenging during fast transients due to the different time scales, the actuator constraints, and the sensor responsiveness.
Epileptiform activity of veratridine model in rat brain slices: effects of antiepileptic drugs

Abstract The effects of the antiepileptic drugs valproic acid (VPA), phenytoin (PHT), and ethosuximide (ESM) on evoked and spontaneous seizure-like (epileptiform) activity were studied in the veratridine epileptiform model in rat brain slices, using conventional electrophysiological intracellular recording techniques. The veratridine model is generated by treatment of brain slices with a low concentration (0.3 μM) of the alkaloid veratridine. The drug modifies sodium channel function so that a brief current injection in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons evokes bursts of epileptiform activity. Therapeutic concentrations of VAP (50–200 μM) inhibited both evoked and spontaneous bursting in a voltage-dependent manner without affecting membrane resting potential or input resistance. Similarly, therapeutic concentrations of PHT (4–15 μM) inhibited both evoked and spontaneous bursting in a voltage-dependent fashion with no apparent change in the membrane resting potential. However, PHT increased the membrane input resistance and elevated the firing threshold of neurons. The antiepileptic drug ESM failed to inhibit evoked or spontaneous bursting even at high concentrations. The results suggest that the veratridine model of epileptiform activity is sensitive only to antiepileptic drugs that primarily affect the sodium channels.
Satellite Sampling and Retrieval Errors in Regional Monthly Rain Estimates from TMI, AMSR-E, SSM/I, AMSU-B, and the TRMM PR

AbstractPassive and active microwave rain sensors on board Earth-orbiting satellites estimate monthly rainfall from the instantaneous rain statistics collected during satellite overpasses. It is well known that climate-scale rain estimates from meteorological satellites incur sampling errors resulting from the process of discrete temporal sampling and statistical averaging. Sampling and retrieval errors ultimately become entangled in the estimation of the mean monthly rain rate. The sampling component of the error budget effectively introduces statistical noise into climate-scale rain estimates that obscures the error component associated with the instantaneous rain retrieval. Estimating the accuracy of the retrievals on monthly scales therefore necessitates a decomposition of the total error budget into sampling and retrieval error quantities. This paper presents results from a statistical evaluation of the sampling and retrieval errors for five different spaceborne rain sensors on board nine orbiting sa...
Extraction of 3-D location of matched 3-D object using power fringe-adjusted filtering and Wigner analysis

Optical image recognition of three-dimensional (3-D) objects has recently been proposed. The proposed system basically performs correlation of the holographic information of a 3-D reference object and that of a 3-D target object, and hence 3-D matching is possible. How- ever, the system is not 3-D shift-invariant. A solution for 3-D shift invari- ance has been pointed out, but has the drawback that only target objects that are farther away than the reference object can be shift-invariantly detected. We propose a method by which 3-D shift invariance is possible without that drawback. The method applies Wigner analysis to the power-fringe-adjusted-filtered correlation output to extract the 3-D loca- tion of the matched target object. We analyze the proposed method and present computer simulation results. © 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumen- tation Engineers. (S0091-3286(99)02012-7)
Laser surgery for laryngeal cancer

The laser offers the head and neck surgical oncologist another tool for the management of various laryngeal malignancies. The advantages of the laser include precision, hemostasis, and decreased tissue edema. The disadvantages include coagulation necrosis at the wound and specimen margins, which may make histopathologic diagnosis and determination of clear margins more difficult. 1
Immune responses of mice after conjunctival exposure toChlamydia trachomatis serovar A

CBA/J mice were inoculated in the lower conjunctival sac with live elementary bodies (EBs) ofChlamydia trachomatis serovar A. Recovery of chlamydia after exposure was done by culture of conjunctival swabs and draining lymph node (D-LN) cells in McCoy cells grown on coverslips in isolation vials. Cellular immune responsiveness was measured by lymphocyte proliferation assay of D-LN cells stimulated with irradiated EBs of serovars A, C, or L2. Humoral immunity was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and immunoblot analysis. Chlamydia were consistently isolated from the conjunctiva and from the D-LN at 1 and 7 days after exposure respectively. Intermittent isolations were obtained from the conjunctiva up to day 4 and from the D-LN up to day 14 after a single exposure. Serovar A EB-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation was strong by 1 week after conjunctival exposure, but by 4 and 5 weeks, blastogenic responsiveness was very low. This lack of responsiveness may reflect a state of immunosuppression. Responses to serovars C and L2 EBs were consistantly lower than to serovar A EBs. Serum IgG antichlamydia antibodies were not detected by ELISA until 2 weeks after exposure, peaked by 4–5 weeks, and decreased between 5 and 7 weeks after exposure. The IgM response was minimal at all times tested. There was, however, a modest increase in IgM antibodies at 3 and 5–7 weeks after exposure. Immunoblot analysis showed reactivity of mouse serum antibodies with polypeptide bands of 30, 41, and 52 kD at 3 and 4 weeks post exposure and predominantly with the 52 kD moiety at 5 weeks post exposure. These studies along with the effect of multiple exposures on the immune response may provide a model system which will assist in the understanding of the immune responses and immunomodulation that occur in trachoma.
(Bi)sulfite oxidation by copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase: Sulfite-derived, radical-initiated protein radical formation.

BackgroundSulfur dioxide, formed during the combustion of fossil fuels, is a major air pollutant near large cities. Its two ionized forms in aqueous solution, sulfite and (bi)sulfite, are widely us...
Current research on PONV/PDNV: Practical implications for today’s pharmacist

Purpose. Guidelines have been constructed to optimize the management of patients at risk of developing postoperative nausea and vomiting or postdischarge nausea and vomiting (PONV/PDNV), including the 2002 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recommendations, the 2006 guidelines assembled by an American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses task force (ASPAN), and another set published in 2007 with the support of the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA). The recommendations set forth are reviewed. Summary. Patient risk factors have been identified that are associated with higher incidences of PONV. For prophylaxis of PONV in high-risk patients, combinational and multimodal therapies with as many as three interventions, including a 5-HT3-based therapy and other antiemetic agents with different mechanisms of action, were advocated by guidelines and systematic reviews; specific pharmacotherapies and other interventions were recommended, as well as a treatment algorithm. The number of antiemetic agents prescribed should be appropriate for the individual’s risk level, once again emphasizing the importance of patient risk stratification. Prophylaxis for PONV should be maintained throughout the period of risk. Conclusion. Evidence from the Prospective Observational Study of Treatments, Outcomes, and Patterns of Care study indicates that the use of guideline recommended PONV and PDNV prophylactic treatments leads to improved outcomes.
Spinal cord neural anatomy in rats examined by in vivo magnetic resonance microscopy.

Background and Objectives Magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) is a technique that is worthwhile for anesthesiologists because it allows spinal cord and plexus anatomy to be visualized three dimensionally and followed over time in the same animal. For example, the long-term effect of indwelling intrathecal or plexus catheters can be studied in situ, and convective and diffusive forces within intrathecal, epidural, or nerve sheath spaces can be investigated. Further, diffusion-weighted MRM, which measures an “apparent diffusion coefficient” (ADC), can be used to track the presence of ischemia, hypoperfusion, or cytotoxic edema. This study investigates problems associated with the use of in vivo MRM for spinal cord and peripheral nerve studies in the rat. Methods Twenty-one anesthetized female Fisher CDF rats were used. Group 1 (n = 7) was used for anatomic three-dimensional studies. Groups 2 (n = 4), 3 (n = 4), and 4 (n = 6) were used for measurements of the ADC. Group 2 served as controls, group 3 received lumbar intrathecal catheters, and group 4 received cervical intrathecal catheters. Results Cervical spine, lumbar spine, and spinal nerves and ganglia were accurately visualized with MRM. As a rule, spinal cord gray and white matter were better demonstrated using diffusion-weighted proton stains. By contrast, T2-weighted proton staining superiorly demonstrated structures surrounding the spinal cord. In groups 3 and 4, indwelling intrathecal catheters did not affect the spinal cord ADC, indicating normal blood flow and no cytotoxic edema. Contrast studies revealed nonhomogeneous distribution of contrast predominately in the lateral and ventral intrathecal space. Conclusions Threedimensional diffusion-weighted MRM displays cervical and lumbar spine anatomy accurately in vivo. Apparent diffusion coefficients measurements are feasible in rat cervical spinal cord with intrathecal catheters. Spinal cord ADCs are unaffected by intrathecal catheters, indicating normal spinal cord perfusion.
Authigenic pyrite: evidence for a microbial origin of tar sand

Abstract The formation of tar sand has long been related to two origins: breached deposits and biodegradation. The identification of authigenic pyrite in a complex of interfingering lacustrine, deltaic and fluviatile sediments is evidence to support a microbial origin of the PR Spring tar sand deposit in Utah. Pyrite was formed when migrating petroleum, in association with soluble Fe, was invaded by water carrying microorganisms and underwent biodegradation by specialized groups of chemoorganotrophic sulphate-reducing bacteria. These microorganisms, probably similar to Desulfovibrio and Desulfococcus, perform sulphate reduction, transforming liquid petroleum into tar sand while generating pyrite.
Exon skipping in the KIT gene causes a Sabino spotting pattern in horses.

Sabino (SB) is a white spotting pattern in the horse characterized by white patches on the face, lower legs, or belly, and interspersed white hairs on the midsection. Based on comparable phenotypes in humans and pigs, the KIT gene was investigated as the origin of the Sabino phenotype. In this article we report the genetic basis of one type of Sabino spotting pattern in horses that we call Sabino 1, with the alleles represented by the symbols SB1 and sb1. Transcripts of KIT were characterized by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing cDNA from horses with the genotypes SB1/SB1, SB1/sb1, and sb1/sb1. Horses with the Sabino 1 trait produced a splice variant of KIT that did not possess exon 17. Genomic DNA sequencing of KIT revealed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) caused by a base substitution for T with A in intron 16, 1037 bases following exon 16. The SNP associated with SB1 was designated KI16+1037A. This substitution eliminated a MnlI restriction site and allowed the use of PCR-RFLP to characterize individuals for this base change. Complete linkage was observed between this SNP and Sabino 1 in the Tennessee Walking Horse families (LOD = 9.02 for Θ = 0). Individual horses from other breeds were also tested. All five horses homozygous for this SNP were white, and all 68 horses with one copy of this SNP either exhibited the Sabino 1 phenotype or were multipatterned. Some multipatterned individuals appeared white due to the additive effect of white spotting patterns. However, 13 horses with other Sabino-type patterns did not have this SNP. Based on these results we propose the following: (1) this SNP, found within intron 16, is responsible for skipping of exon 17 and the SB1 phenotype, (2) the White and Sabino phenotypes are heterogeneous and this mechanism is not the only way to produce the pattern described as “Sabino” or “White,” and (3) homozygosity for SB1 results in a complete or nearly completely white phenotype.
MYOCARDIAL ULTRASTRUCTURE IN LAMBS: COMPARISON OF SARCOMERE LENGTH AND INTRACELLULAR ORGANIZATION

MYOCARDIAL ULTRASTRUCTURE IN LAMBS: COMPARISON OF SARCOMERE LENGTH AND INTRACELLULAR ORGANIZATION
Effects Of Sequence And Conformational Contexts In Polyglutamine Aggregation

Aggregation of proteins with expanded polyglutamine tracts is implicated in the onset and progression of nine different neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington's disease. Recent work from our lab has focused on the driving forces for polyglutamine aggregation. We have shown that water is a poor solvent for polyglutamine. We have also shown that non-specific homotypic associations of collapsed albeit disordered polyglutamine molecules are spontaneous (non-nucleated), chain length dependent, and governed by the intrinsic disorder (spontaneous fluctuations) of these molecules. In addition to a brief overview of previous results, we will present results from recent work that assesses the role of sequence contexts and conformational restraints on the aggregation mechanisms of polyglutamine containing proteins. These results are garnered from a combination of theoretical, computational, and experimental efforts.
MODELING THE UNIVERSE AS A QUANTUM WELL

By modeling the Universe as a quantum well for standing waves and solving Schrodinger’s equation for a particle trapped in this well, the solutions for th e allowable rest-energies of all particles in the U niverse are obtained, from the mass of the photon up to the mas s of the Universe. The quantum numbers that predict the allowable rest-energies of all particles are also f ound to quantize the distance over which gravity ac ts, ranging from the Planck length to the radius of the universe. The potential that is derived from the q uantum well model is validated for gravitational, strong, weak and electromagnetic forces by confirming the mass of the vector particle for each force.
Reification and the Ecstasy of the Chelsea Boy

Abstract This essay describes the convergence of psychological and political experience in gay men's development of subjectivity. It explores a process whereby gay men recognize themselves to be gay like other gays and articulate their individual way of being gay through this act of recognition. Reification is introduced to describe the gay subject's encounter with objectified gayness-a task of individuation that is often overlooked. The psycho-political space where these acts of recognition and individuation occur is called “Chelsea space,” here, so as to offer a way of thinking about substance use among urban, gay “Chelsea Boys.” Case material is woven through the essay, and different degrees of substance use are understood to reflect different uses of the subject/object encounter that occurs in Chelsea Space.
An Improved Solid Phase Extraction Procedure for the Determination of Antidepressants in Serum by Column Liquid Chromatography

Abstract A convenient and economical procedure for the isolation of antidepressant drugs from serum is described. A 0.7 mL aliquot of the sample after the addition of trimipramine or protriptyline as the internal standard is vortex mixed with 0.7 mL of acetonitrile and centrifuged. The supernatant is applied to 1-mL BondElut C-18 silica extraction column which has been conditioned by subsequent washing with 1 M HCI, methanol, water, and 1% potassium bicarbonate solution. After passing the sample at a slow rate, the column is washed twice with water and once with acetonitrile. The desired compounds are then eluted with a 0.25 mL aliquot of a mixture of 35% perchloric acid and methanol (1:20). A 50-μ L aliquot of the eluate is injected onto a 15 cm × 4.6 mm (i.d.) column packed with 5-μ m C-8 silica particles, which is eluted at ambient temperature with a mobile phase containing tetramethylammoniun perchlorate and acetonitrile. The peaks are detected with an absorbance detector at 215 nm or 226 nm for fluox...
Increased NGF-like activity in young but not aged rat hippocampus after septal lesions.

Abstract Sympathetic sprouting in the hippocampus following septal denervation is thought to involve nerve growth factor (NGF). This sprouting response is dramatically reduced in aged rats, but immunological assays reveal no age-related decline in hippocampal NGF levels. In the present study, both a bioassay and an immunoassay were used to examine the effect of a medial septal lesion on hippocampal NGF levels in young adult (2–5 months) and aged (24 months) Fischer 344 rats. No significant differences were detected between normal young and aged rats, in agreement with earlier results. Following medial septal lesions, however, only young rats demonstrated significant increases in hippocampal NGF-like activity. These results support the hypothesis that the age-related deficit in sympathetic sprouting results from an attenuated neurotrophic response to hippocampal denervation.
Differential effects of intronic and exonic locations of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Rev-responsive element.

Abstract The influence of the location of the Rev-response element (RRE) on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protein and RNA expression in COS cells was assessed. The RRE was placed into nef where it would be present in all HIV-1 RNAs. At this location, Gag and Env proteins were produced and the unspliced gag/pol and partially spliced env/vpu RNAs were able to accumulate in the cytoplasm. The RRE was also relocated from its normal location in the env exon to the env intron. In this way, the RRE would be present in the nuclear env pre-mRNA, but not in the spliced env mRNA. Gag, but not Env protein production was detected. The presence of the RRE in the env pre-mRNA allowed the cytoplasmic accumulation of the spliced env mRNA, which lacked the RRE. However, this mRNA accumulated at a reduced level relative to that produced by constructs containing the RRE within the env mRNA. The cytoplasmic accumulation of this mRNA was dependent on the presence of Rev and the RRE. These results demonstrate that the location of the RRE can have differential effects on the fate of HIV-1 RNAs.
Automatic exploit generation

A system and method for automatically generating exploits, such as exploits for target code, is described. In some implementations, the system received binary code and/or source code of a software applications, finds one or more exploitable bugs within the software application, and automatically generates exploits for the exploitable bugs.
SU‐FF‐T‐103: Implementation of the Tungsten‐Compensator Based Intensity‐Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)

Purpose: One of the methods to deliver the intensity‐modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) beams is by using physical compensators. The static nature of the compensator intensity modulation shortens the treatment time, simplify the dose optimization and reduces the leakage effect from MLC‐IMRT. The purpose of this project is to study the feasibility of intensity modulation by a high density material, tungsten. The commissioning process, including the packing issue and dose modeling method, are described in details, which will be helpful for other institutions to implement this technique. Method and Materials: The consistency of filling tungsten and durability of the compensator were tested by the repetitive filling/handling. One symmetrical and one asymmetrical step function‐type compensators were manufactured for dose modeling purpose. Mapcheck device and ion chamber were used to measure the dose attenuation at different field size, depth and off‐axis distance. In‐house make treatment planning system (TPS) was modified to incorporate the attenuation, scattering and beam hardening effects from the tungsten material. IMRT plans were made for 15 prostate, H&N and breast cancer patients. Intensity map and dose were acquired by the Mapcheck and compared to the TPS predictions. Results: The filling of the material is consistent with the maximum discrepancy 2.9% and 1.5%, respectively, for the intraoperator and interoperator filling tests. No compensator quality degeneration was found for two compensators after 30 fractions under normal and strenuous handling. Three dose calculation related parameters were fit using the data acquired on symmetrical and asymmetrical compensators. For 15 patients' plans, the measured intensity maps show that 97%±2% of points in the field have dose difference less than 5% from the TPS calculated. Conclusion: The tungsten compensator based IMRT was implemented by our group. The dose distribution discrepancy between the measured data and TPS calculation is small and meets the requirement of clinical needs.
Role of partition coefficients in determining the percutaneous penetration of salicylic acid and formaldehyde under varying occlusion durations

AbstractContext: Occlusion is widely utilized to enhance the percutaneous penetration of applied drugs in clinical practice; however, occlusion does not increase the penetration of all chemicals.Objective: This study determines: (1) whether occlusion enhances the percutaneous penetration of the lipophilic salicylic acid or the hydrophilic formaldehyde when compared to non-occlusion, (2) evaluate whether occlusion duration affects the penetration of compounds and (3) establish to what extent occlusive films in clinical practice interact with topically-applied chemicals and possibly hinder penetration.Materials and methods: Separately, single doses of [14C]-formaldehyde and [14C]-salicylic acid were applied onto human skin overlying diffusion cells under non-occlusion as well as various occlusive time periods (1, 4 and 8 h). The percent dose penetrating into each compartment as well the percent dose adhering to the plastic wrap were determined.Results: The radioactivity recovery as percent of applied dose o...
Cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol are not required for the in vivo action of Bcl-2 family proteins.

Cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol are not required for the in vivo action of Bcl-2 family proteins
The physics of fast Z pinches

The spectacular progress made during the last few years in reaching high energy densities in fast implosions of annular current sheaths (fast Z pinches) opens new possibilities for a broad spectrum of experiments, from x-ray generation to controlled thermonuclear fusion and astrophysics. Presently Z pinches are the most intense laboratory X ray sources (1.8 MJ in 5 ns from a volume 2 mm in diameter and 2 cm tall). Powers in excess of 200 TW have been obtained. This warrants summarizing the present knowledge of physics that governs the behavior of radiating current-carrying plasma in fast Z pinches. This survey covers essentially all aspects of the physics of fast Z pinches: initiation, instabilities of the early stage, magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the implosion phase, formation of a transient quasi-equilibrium near the stagnation point, and rebound. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of hydrodynamic instabilities governing the implosion symmetry. Possible ways of mitigating these instabilities are discussed. Non-magnetohydrodynamic effects (anomalous resistivity, generation of particle beams, etc.) are summarized. Various applications of fast Z pinches are briefly described. Scaling laws governing development of more powerful Z pinches are presented. The survey contains 36 figures and more than 300 references.
The creation of the federal MCH Extramural Research Program, 1950-1969: lessons for today.

On April 9, 1912, the law establishing the Children’s Bureau was signed by President William Howard Taft. The original mission of the Children’s Bureau was to “investigate and report … upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of children and child life among all classes of our people.” This paper focuses on the transitional years from roughly 1950 to 1969, when the Children’s Bureau’s investigative mandate was transformed from a set of intramural activities that viewed maternal and child health research as part of a larger effort cutting across investigative, programmatic, and policy goals, and across different domains of the child’s life, to an extramural research program focused specifically on maternal and child health. Discussion focuses on the mission of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Research Program, housed now within the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Nitrogen utilization, ruminal fermentation and abomasal nitrogen flow in sheep fed caucasian bluestem hay supplemented with lucerne or urea

Abstract Four crossbred wether lambs with ruminal and abomasal cannulae were used in a Latin square design to measure nitrogen (N) utilization, ruminal fermentation parameters and abomasal N flows for diets of caucasian bluestem hay alone (BLUESTEM) and supplemented with 50% lucerne (BLUE + LCRN), 9.6 g urea once daily (DOSED UREA) or 9.6 g day−1 urea continuously infused (INFUSED UREA). Lambs consuming BLUE + LCRN had lower (P 0.10) by supplementation. Propionate was increased (P 0.10) in abomasal flow of particulate dry matter (DM), non-NH3-N (NAN) and microbial N were evident. More (P 0.05) between diets. Results of this study indicate that low levels of ruminal NH3-N found on the BLUESTEM diet were not limiting microbial protein synthesis. Supplementation with lucerne appeared to stimulate the rate of early ruminal fermentation as evidenced by lower ruminal pH and greater concentration of total ruminal VFA 2 h post-feeding. This may help to explain the improved performance observed with the addition of a legume to a warm-season grass diet.
Gene transfer of endothelial nitric oxide synthase alters endothelium-dependent relaxations in aortas from diabetic rabbits

Aims/hypothesis. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in diabetes mellitus. Abnormal endothelium-dependent relaxation is observed both in humans and in animal models of diabetes mellitus and decreased bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) is thought to be involved in this defect. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test whether adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) alters vascular reactivity of diabetic vessels.¶Methods. Vascular reactivity was first assessed in thoracic aortas and carotid arteries from nine alloxan-induced diabetic (plasma glucose, 26.5 ± 1.2 mmol/l; HbA1 c, 6.4 ± 0.3 %) and nine control rabbits (plasma glucose, 11.1 ± 1.3 mmol/l; HbA1 c, 2.1 ± 0.1 %). Vascular reactivity was next examined in thoracic aortas of diabetic animals after ex vivo transduction with replication-deficient adenovirus encoding gene for eNOS (AdeNOS) or β-galactosidase (Adβgal).¶Results. After 10 weeks of hyperglycaemia, endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was impaired in diabetic aorta, but was normal in carotid arteries from diabetic rabbits. In contrast, responses of both vessels to calcium ionophore and nitric oxide donor were normal. Histochemical staining for β-galactosidase and immunohistochemistry for eNOS showed transgene expression in the endothelium and adventitia in Adβgal and AdeNOS transduced vessels, respectively. During submaximum contractions with phenylephrine, relaxations to low concentrations of acetylcholine (3 × 10–8 to 10–7 mol/l) were augmented in AdeNOS transduced diabetic vessels.¶Conclusion/interpretation. These findings suggest that adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of eNOS to diabetic aorta alters vascular reactivity. [Diabetologia (2000) 43: 340–347]
Promising future for an elephant population – a case study in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Nazinga Game Ranch, which was established in 1979 in Burkina Faso and is the only one of its kind in the country, has achieved much success in reconciling wildlife conservation with the needs of local people. The ranch provides a refuge for elephants escaping harassment elsewhere but this creates problems for local people whose crops suffer elephant damage. Despite the problems, many villagers welcome the proximity of the ranch and its elephants and, while there are still problems to be solved – and funds needed to help solve them – the ranch is an excellent model for conservation action.
Sites of proteolytic processing and noncovalent association of the distal C-terminal domain of CaV1.1 channels in skeletal muscle.

In skeletal muscle cells, voltage-dependent potentiation of Ca2+ channel activity requires phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) anchored via an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP15), and the most rapid sites of phosphorylation are located in the C-terminal domain. Surprisingly, the site of interaction of the complex of PKA and AKAP15 with the α1-subunit of CaV1.1 channels lies in the distal C terminus, which is cleaved from the remainder of the channel by in vivo proteolytic processing. Here we report that the distal C terminus is noncovalently associated with the remainder of the channel via an interaction with a site in the proximal C-terminal domain when expressed as a separate protein in mammalian nonmuscle cells. Deletion mapping of the C terminus of the α1-subunit using the yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that a distal C-terminal peptide containing amino acids 1802–1841 specifically interacts with a region in the proximal C terminus containing amino acid residues 1556–1612. Analysis of the purified α1-subunit of CaV1.1 channels from skeletal muscle by saturation sequencing of the intracellular peptides by tandem mass spectrometry identified the site of proteolytic processing as alanine 1664. Our results support the conclusion that a noncovalently associated complex of the α1-subunit truncated at A1664 with the proteolytically cleaved distal C-terminal domain, AKAP15, and PKA is the primary physiological form of CaV1.1 channels in skeletal muscle cells.
Tear strength of oriented crystalline polymers

Three crystalline polymers; high- and low-density polyethylene andtrans-polyisoprene; were prepared as sheets with varying degrees of molecular orientation. Measurements of the energyG c required to propagate a tear along and across the direction of orientation are described. The tear energy was found to depend linearly upon the thickness,t, of the sheet, in all cases. This dependence in attributed to plastic yielding at the crack tip in a zone having a cross-sectional area proportionalt 2. The dependence on thickness was greater for highly oriented sheets torn across the orientation direction. This is attributed to a greater extent of plastic yielding in the orientation direction, as indicated by model experiments. By exhapolation to zero thickness of sheet, values were obtained of threshold tear energy in the absence of large-scale plastic yielding. However, these values were still relatively large (1 to 50 kJ m−2), and they were directly proportional to the extension ratio imposed across the tear direction at the time of crystallization. Thus, for tearing parallel to the orientation direction, both the threshold strength and the additional contribution torn plastic yielding were small, whereas for tearing across the orientation direction both were large, Values of the effective diameter of the tear tip for unoriontod materials were deduced torn the threshold strengths. They were about 35μm for HDPE and about 90μm for LDPE and TPI; about five times the average spherulite diameter.
Endoluminal GERD treatments: critical appraisal of current literature with evidence-based medicine instruments

The literature of endoluminal treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) widely varies in the level of evidence presented for analysis. Therefore there is a need for a comprehensive evidence-based medicine (EBM) analysis of the current literature evidence of the three FDA-approved modalities used for endoluminal treatment of GERD. In January 2007, the MEDLINE database was searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and controlled clinical trials of currently available endoluminal treatment of GERD. Database searches combined the specific endoluminal device keywords with the condition-specific keyword (e.g., GERD). All relevant studies have been categorized according to the evidence they provide according to the guidelines for Levels of Evidence and Grades of Recommendation supplied by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria, representing 787 patients. The methodological quality of most of the included studies was average; four studies were grade 1b (individual randomized trial), 10 were grade 2b (individual cohort study), and two were grade 3b (individual case-control study) There is grade 1b and 2b evidence demonstrating the EndoCinch plication is effective in reducing GERD symptoms at short-term follow up. However, in the majority of the studies analyzed, the procedure does not significantly reduce the acid exposure in the distal esophagus. The majority of the studies with long-term outcome showed disappointing outcomes, probably due to suture loss in the majority of patients. There is grade 1b and 2b evidence demonstrating that the Stretta procedure is effective in reducing GERD symptoms at short- and mid-term follow up. However, in the majority of the studies analyzed, the procedure did not reduce significantly the acid exposure in the distal esophagus. There is grade 1b and 2b evidence demonstrating that full-thickness plication is effective in reducing GERD symptoms, and acid exposure in the distal esophagus.
Active control and parameter updating techniques for nonlinear thermal network models

The present article reports on active control and parameter updating techniques for thermal models based on the network approach. Emphasis is placed on applications where radiation plays a dominant role. Examples of such applications are the thermal design and modeling of spacecrafts and space-based science instruments. Active thermal control of a system aims to approximate a desired temperature distribution or to minimize a suitably defined temperature-dependent functional. Similarly, parameter updating aims to update the values of certain parameters of the thermal model so that the output approximates a distribution obtained through direct measurements. Both problems are formulated as nonlinear, least-square optimization problems. The proposed strategies for their solution are explained in detail and their efficiency is demonstrated through numerical tests. Finally, certain theoretical results pertaining to the characterization of solutions of the problems of interest are also presented.
Prenatal Factors Associated with Breastfeeding Duration: Recommendations for Prenatal Interventions

This study of 198 urban breastfeeding women examined the psychosocial, demographic, and medical factors identified prenatally that may be associated with longer breastfeeding duration and may serve as suitable areas for prenatal breastfeeding promotion interventions. Of 11 psychosocial and demographic factors examined, 5 were important influences on breastfeeding duration: anticipated length of breastfeeding, normative beliefs, maternal confidence, social learning, and behavioral beliefs about breastfeeding. Methods of multivariate linear regression were used to identify prenatal factors that influenced anticipated length. Of the 10 factors entered into the regression model, parity, plans to return to work or school by six months postpartum, and maternal confidence were the most significant factors affecting anticipated length of breastfeeding. Our data suggest several factors amenable to intervention during the prenatal period that appear to influence breastfeeding duration. Prenatal promotion efforts could easily incorporate strategies that influence factors such as normative and behavioral beliefs and maternal confidence.
Avoiding Cheap Grace: Luther and the Need for Moral Despair

: This article addresses two problems in the development of an adequate Lutheran ethics in our time: moral quietism in the public square and an overly narrow and individualistic moral vision. I argue that the construction of grace as “freedom” tends toward “cheap grace” and that grace needs, then, to be thought of as a compelling of moral striving. Second, I argue that our sense of moral despair today should be broadened to focus on our participation in social structures that damage humans and the nonhuman world as much as on our personal and individual failings.
Defining the cross-sectional anatomy important to interscalene brachial plexus block with magnetic resonance imaging.

Background and Objectives Interscalene brachial plexus block is a useful technique to provide anesthesia and analgesia for the shoulder and proximal upper extremity. The initial needle direction at the interscalene groove has been described as being “perpendicular to the skin in every plane” (1). A cross-sectional (axial) approach may offer a more easily conceptualized directed needle placement. The purpose of this study is to define the cross-sectional anatomy and idealized needle angles important to interscalene brachial plexus block. Methods Following IRB approval, 50 patients were studied. Cross-sectional volume coil T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) were obtained from 50 patients undergoing cervical region imaging for other reasons. At the interscalene groove, a simulated needle path to contact the ventral rami or trunks of the brachial plexus was approximated at the level of C6 or C6-C7 interspace. The angle of this needle path intersecting the sagittal plane was recorded for each patient. Results The mean angle of the simulated needle path relative to sagittal plane was determined to be 61.1 ± 6.1° (range, 50-78°). In 13 of 50 (26%) MRI scans, the cervical nerve roots were not visualized at the level of C6 and were measured at the C6-C7 level. Conclusions These findings suggest initial needle placement at the interscalene groove should be angled less perpendicularly relative to the sagittal plane than is often observed. A cross-sectional approach enables more practical visualization of initial needle placement. A more accurate initial needle placement may minimize the number of needle passes necessary to contact the nerve roots, thereby more efficiently obtaining a successful block.
Regulation of Cardiomyocyte Mechanotransduction by the Cardiac Cycle

Background—Overloading the left ventricle in systole (pressure overload) is associated with a distinct morphological response compared with overload in diastole (volume overload). Methods and Results—We designed a novel computer-controlled experimental system that interfaces biaxially uniform strain with electrical pacing, so that cellular deformation can be imposed during a specified phase of the cardiac cycle. Cardiomyocytes were exposed to strain (4%) during either the first third (systolic phase) or last third (diastolic phase) of the cardiac cycle. Strain imposed during the systolic phase selectively activated p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and MAPK/extracellular signal–regulated protein kinase kinase (MEK1/2, an activator of p44/42 MAPK) compared with strain imposed during the diastolic phase. In contrast, there was no difference in activation of p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases induced by strain imposed during the systolic phase (5.8- and 3.3-fold versus control, n=4) compared wit...
Developmental Controls are Re-Expressed during Induction of Neurogenesis in the Neocortex of Young Adult Mice

Whether induction of low-level neurogenesis in normally non-neurogenic regions of the adult brain mimics aspects of developmental neurogenesis is currently unknown. Previously, we and others identified that biophysically induced, neuron subtype-specific apoptosis in mouse neocortex results in induction of neurogenesis of limited numbers of subtype-appropriate projection neurons with axonal projections to either thalamus or spinal cord, depending on the neuron subtype activated to undergo targeted apoptosis. Here, we test the hypothesis that developmental genes from embryonic corticogenesis are re-activated, and that some of these genes might underlie induction of low-level adult neocortical neurogenesis. We directly investigated this hypothesis via microarray analysis of microdissected regions of young adult mouse neocortex undergoing biophysically activated targeted apoptosis of neocortical callosal projection neurons. We compared the microarray results identifying differentially expressed genes with public databases of embryonic developmental genes. We find that, following activation of subtype-specific neuronal apoptosis, three distinct sets of normal developmental genes are selectively re-expressed in neocortical regions of induced neurogenesis in young adult mice: (1) genes expressed by subsets of progenitors and immature neurons in the developing ventricular and/or subventricular zones; (2) genes normally expressed by developmental radial glial progenitors; and (3) genes involved in synaptogenesis. Together with previous results, the data indicate that at least some developmental molecular controls over embryonic neurogenesis can be re-activated in the setting of induction of neurogenesis in the young adult neocortex, and suggest that some of these activate and initiate adult neuronal differentiation from endogenous progenitor populations. Understanding molecular mechanisms contributing to induced adult neurogenesis might enable directed CNS repair.
Use of a new chemically modified intravenous IgG preparation in severe primary humoral immunodeficiency: Clinical efficacy and attempts to individualize dosage

Sixteen patients with severe primary humoral immunodeficiency diseases were treated intravenously for 12 months with a beta-propiolactone stabilized preparation of IgG (Intraglobin) as part of a phase II study of safety and efficacy. In order to evaluate the metabolism of IgG in these patients and to determine whether increased doses of IgG would lead to a decrease in the rate of infections, the study was divided into two periods. All patients were infused with a standard dose of 100 mg/kg/month for 6 months and the peak and trough serum IgG concentrations were determined. The half-life of the IgG was determined in each patient after the fourth month and this value was used to calculate the dose necessary to raise the trough serum IgG concentration to a minimum of 200 mg/dl. The patients received this individualized dose in the final 6 months and the half-life determination was repeated at the conclusion of the study. Only 3 of 10 patients who received a higher dose in the second period had a substantial increase in trough serum IgG concentrations, but the failure to achieve higher concentrations was not due to a shortening of the half-life. The Intraglobin was well tolerated with no patient unable to complete the study due to side-effects. Ten percent of the infusions were associated with minor, self-limited reactions, with 16 of the 19 reactions occurring in the first 6 months. There were no life-threatening infections during the 12-month period. A total of 105 episodes of infections were recorded, but only a cumulative total of 51 days of normal school or work activity were lost by the 16 patients during the 12 months of the trial period. Most infectious episodes were due to chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, and otitis. There was no reduction in the number of infections in the second, higher dose period of the study; however, as there was little increase in serum IgG concentration, more data are required before it will be possible to determine if the incidence of chronic infections can be reduced by a further increase in the serum IgG concentration.