cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary arterial hypertension: building a better mouse trap for 2010

Treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was revolutionized in 1996 with the widespread introduction of prostacyclin, but some patients still progress to lung transplant or death despite state-of-the-art medical management. This monograph highlights some of the recent pre-clinical work that holds exciting potential for PAH treatment. The relevant vascular biology and animal models are briefly highlighted before the text outlines several completely different strategies to address crucial aspects of the disease's pathophysiology.
Effect of Nitroprusside on Left Ventricular Dynamics in Mitral Regurgitation

In order to evaluate the circulatory action of vasodilator therapy in patients with significant mitral regurgitation, sodium nitroprusside was infused intravenously in 14 patients who had mitral regurgitation due to a variety of causes. In 13 of these patients, valvular insufficiency had been present for several years. The mean arterial pressure fall from 88 ± 1.2 to 71 ± 2.1 mm Hg was accompanied by a significant decrease in pulmonary artery pressure (from 27.4 ± 2.7 to 19.1 ± 2.4 mm Hg), pulmonary artery wedge v wave (from 31.7 ± 3.3 to 17.0 ± 1.9 mm Hg), and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (from 16.7 ± 1.6 to 9.3 ± 1.2 mm Hg). In 10 patients significant decreases in angiographic end-diastolic volumes (from 196 ± 10 to 177 ± 10 ml) and end-systolic volumes (from 90 ± 10 to 77 ± 9 ml) were accompanied by slight decreases in the total stroke volume and slight increases in the ejection fraction. The improved forward stroke volume index (from 27 ± 3.0 to 33 ± 2.1 ml) was due to a very significant reduction in the regurgitant fraction (from 57 ± 6 to 42 ± 6%). Nitroprusside, therefore, has beneficial hemodynamic effects in patients with chronic mitral regurgitation.
d-Amphetamine unmasks postnatal consequences of exposure to methylmercury in utero: methods for studying behavioral teratogenesis.

Pregnant rats were given various doses of methylmercury (MM) at three different stages of gestation (Days 0, 7 or 14). Administration of 56% or 27% of the dose given on the first day (Day 0) of pregnancy to 7 or 14 day pregnant rats, respectively, resulted in equivalent concentrations of MM ni 19 day old feti and 1 day and 1 week old neonates. A single, 5 mg MM/kg, oral dose on Day 0, or its equivalent on Days 7 or 14 of gestation did not produce any signs of toxicity in pregnant dams or their offspring. Weight gain of pregnant dams, litter size, litter weights at birth or at weaning and gross physical appearance were not different amongst the various treated groups and their respective controls. Operant level of bar pressing and acquisition of a discrete trial autoshape task indicated no differences with respect to operant levels, rate of acquisition or asymptotic performance resulting from exposure to MM in utero. The operant (autoshaped) behavior showed sex related differences to the disrupting influence of d-amphetamine (d-A); females were significantly more sensitive than males. Moreover, both males and females whose dams were treated with MM on Day 0 or 7 of pregnancy were significantly less affected by the d-A when compared with controls. Offspring born to dams given MM on Day 14 of pregnancy did not show a differential effect of d-A. It is concluded that early prenatal exposure to low doses of MM can result in behavioral consequences subtle enough to require unmasking of the effects with psychotropic drugs. Additionally, periods may exist during development when the embryo or fetus is most susceptible to behavioral or functional teratogenic effects of exposure to chemical insult. The testing procedures used in these experiments were objective, automatic and amenable for use with relatively large sample sizes compared with other operant behavior analytical methods. They also lend themselves to appropriate parametric statistical analyses, a staunch requirement for behavioral toxicological and teratological studies.
Drug Use and its Relation to High School Students' Activities

In a high school in a suburb of Detroit, students' attitudes toward, use of, and money spent on drugs, as well as possible alternative activities, were investigated. The sample included 42 enrolled in alternative education designed for students at risk for drug abuse, pregnancy, etc., who might attend college if guided carefully, and 65 regular students who were a mix of college and noncollege bound. The two groups did not differ in actual drug use, most likely because those who recommended students to the alternative education program used low grade point average and not drug use as criterion. Very few "hard" drugs were used. Most frequently used were readily available drugs such as alcohol. Use of a drug, spending money on it, or believing that it is all right for adolescents to use the drug did not automatically indicate frequent use of the drug. Contrary to adults' expectations, "hangin' out" with peers decreased use of "soft" drugs. Family activities for some involved the use of hard drugs together or the condoning of use. To create effective drug-prevention programs, the effects of different activities need to be explored further, and admission criteria need to be well delineated.
The effect of molting upon the vibration receptor of the spider (Achaearanea tepidariorum).

The physiology and fine structure of the vibration receptor of the spider (Achaearanea tepidariorum) was studied throughout the process of molting. The physiological studies showed that there is no dramatic change in the receptor's vibration sensitivity as the time of ecdysis approaches. Only a gradual loss of sensitivity can be detected on a statistical basis using large numbers of spiders. The fine structural studies suggest that the connection between the sensory neurone and the receptor within the old cuticle remains intact up to the time that the cuticle is shed.
Abstract P4-16-07: Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are closely related to chemotherapy resistance of triple negative breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is among the most aggressive clinical phenotypes and the presence of residual resistant cancer cells of TNBC after chemotherapy is associated with tumor recurrence and metastasis. In recent years more and more evidence highlight a crucial role of CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low) (stem/progenitor cell-phenotype) population in cancer drug resistance but the mechanism remains elusive. In the current study, we screened for CD44 and CD24 using Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) in 8 TNBC cell lines before and after Docetaxel and Doxorubicin treatment. Our data showed that after Docetaxel treatment, several CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low) cell lines changed their phenotypes to CD44 (+)/CD24 (+) and most of the CD44 (+)/CD24 (+) cell lines kept their double positive phenotypes. In contrast, after Doxorubicin treatment, all the CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low) cell lines kept their phenotypes and all the CD44 (+)/CD24 (+) cell lines changed their phenotypes to CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low). Furthermore, among the studied 8 cell lines, CD44 (+)/CD24 (+) cell population is always more resistant to Docetaxel and CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low) population is always more resistant to Doxorubicin. Our finding of EMT transition from CD44 (+)/CD24 (+) to CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low) in breast cancer cell lines and its inducible by Doxorubicin is consistent with the literature. However, our results showed for the first time that both EMT and the inverse MET in TNBC could be induced by specific chemotherapy drugs based on the phenotypes of CD44 and CD24. Besides, our gene microarray data also showed that TGFb2, BCL2, KLF6 and TAF4 pathways were dramatically changed in both CD44 (+)/CD24 (+) to CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low) transition and CD44 (+)/CD24 (-/low) to CD44 (+)/CD24 (+) transition. Further study of these pathways in the transitions may give us new clues to overcome the chemotherapy resistance and lead us to develop successful therapeutic strategies of different types of TNBC. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-16-07.
Protective effect of resveratrol against pressure overload-induced heart failure

Transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced pressure overload (PO) causes adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction that progresses to heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the potent antioxidant, resveratrol, significantly attenuates PO-induced HF in wild-type mice. Male C57BL6 mice were subjected to either sham or TAC surgery. One group of TAC mice was given daily resveratrol treatment. Echocardiographic, biometric, and immunohistological analyses were performed on the three groups of mice. All echocardiographic parameters demonstrated significantly greater adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in the TAC compared to the sham mice. Increases in the ratios of heart weight (HW)/body weight (BW) and lung weight (LW)/BW and a sharp decline in the percentage of ejection fraction and fractional shortening were found in TAC relative to sham mice. Likewise, the TAC protocol increased markers of oxidative stress, cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation, fibrosis, hypoxia, and apoptosis. These pathological changes were significantly attenuated by resveratrol treatment. Resveratrol treatment significantly attenuates the adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction produced by the TAC protocol in C57/BL6 mice and this activity is mediated, at least in part, by the inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation indicating a therapeutic potential of resveratrol in HF.
Combined depth imaging using optical coherence tomography as a novel imaging technique to visualize vitreoretinal choroidal structures.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a non-invasive technique to visualize cross-sectional images of vitreo-retinal structures. Image averaging during eyetracking increases the signal-to-noise ratio and improves image quality. The point of maximum sensitivity on SD-OCT (known as the “zero delay line”) is in the vitreous; with increasing depth, the signal is reduced and details of the choroid are reduced.1 More recently, enhanced depth imaging on SD-OCT (EDI-OCT) has increased the ability to visualize the choroid, capturing images with the choroid close to the zero delay line.2 However, with this modality details of the posterior vitreous are reduced. A healthy volunteer was scanned with a SD-OCT device (Spectralis HRA, Heidelberg Engineering). On the conventional SD-OCT B-scan of the macula, the preretinal vitreal pocket was clear. However, the outer choroidal border was not detected (Figure 1,A). The EDI-OCT scan increased the visibility of the choroid borders, but the preretinal vitreal pocket was not seen (Figure 2,B). Fig. 1 Multiple acquisition modalities on SD-OCT (Heidelberg Spectralis HRA). A: Conventional linear OCT B-scan allows good visualization of the preretinal vitreal pocket (asterisks) and retinal structures, but the outer choroidal boundary is not visible. B: ... We devised an innovative imaging technique to visualize all posterior structures in a single image, combining the conventional SD-OCT B-scan with the EDI-OCT B-scan. The same volunteer was asked to fixate on the internal fixation centered on the fovea. A 100-frame averaged conventional linear SD-OCT scan in high-resolution mode was then performed. After reaching 50% of the averaging we manually changed to the EDI modality using the dedicated button, and the image was captured after obtaining a good enhancement of the choroid. This allowed the device to create a high-quality combined image of all depths. (Figure 3,C). This manual technique of Combined Depth Imaging (CDI) on Spectralis HRA yielded a single comprehensive image of the posterior structures without using multiple acquisition modalities. Dedicated built-in software may be useful to achieve this imaging result automatically. Further studies will evaluate the applicability and limitations of this technique.
Leapfrog Representation and Extremism: A Study of American Voters and Their Members in Congress

We consider the relationship between the preferences of American voters and the preferences of the U.S. legislators who represent them. Using an Internet-based, national opinion survey in conjunction with legislator voting records from the 109th and 110th Congresses, we show that members of Congress are more extreme than their constituents, i.e., that there is a lack of congruence between American voters and members of Congress. We also show that when a congressional legislator is replaced by a new member of the opposite party, one relative extremist is replaced by an opposing extremist. We call this leapfrog representation, a form of representation that leaves moderates with a dearth of representation in Congress. We see evidence of leapfrog representation in states and House districts and in the aggregate as well: the median member of the 109th House was too conservative compared to the median American voter, yet the median of the 110th House was too liberal. Thus, the median American voter was leapfrogged when the 109th House transitioned to the 110th. Although turnover between the 109th and 110th Senates occurred at approximately the same rate as between the 109th and 110th Houses, the Senate appears to be a more moderate institution whose median member does not move as abruptly as that of the House.
An assertional correctness proof of a distributed algorithm

Abstract Using ordinary assertional methods for concurrent program verification, we prove the correctness of a distributed algorithm for maintaining message-routing tables in a network with communication lines that can fail. This shows that assertional reasoning about global states works well for distributed as well as nondistributed algorithms.
Perceived motion in orientational afterimages: direction and speed.

Two sets of experiments demonstrate new properties of motion in orientational after-effects. In a previous report, we showed that when observers adapted to a static bar grating whose elements varied in size or intensity from one side to the other, offset of the grating resulted in a motion after-effect, with the perceived motion in the direction of the largest or most intense bar. In the first new experiment, we show that similar results can be produced by varying the duration of the bar elements, with the direction of the motion after-effect toward the bar with the longest duration. In the second new experiment we demonstrate that the perceived speed of the motion aftereffect is influenced by the spatial extent of the after-effect, with larger extents corresponding to faster speeds. The experimental findings are discussed in the context of a neural network theory of visual perception. In this theory, a moving oriented contour leaves a trail of activity among cortical cells tuned to orthogonal orientations. We hypothesize that the grating stimuli produce after-effects that mimic the pattern of oriented responses produced by a true moving contour, and the visual system interprets this pattern as a cue for motion. We also show how the model connects the properties of these motion after-effects to properties of visual persistence.
The health effects of heptachlor.

To the Editor.— The investigation by Stehr-Green et al 1 into the health effects of heptachlor exposure suffers from inadequacies in analysis and seriously overstated conclusions. As in many environmental health studies, direct exposure measurements of the variable of interest, heptachlor, did not exist. However, at least three proxy measures were available: serum levels of pesticide residues, self-reported levels of milk consumption, and membership in a "high-risk" farm family. Despite careful reading, we are unable to decipher whether the second or the third measure was used in the analysis; however, misclassification due to recall bias, variation in individual absorption, and other causes would be increased using either measure. Indeed, the data suggest that such misclassification occurred; only 23% to 31% of "exposed" subjects had elevated serum analytes, while 4% to 7% of participants in the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey had such elevations. It is possible that a
Office-Based Photoangiolytic Laser Treatment of Reinke’s Edema: Safety and Voice Outcomes

ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety, tolerability, and voice outcomes of office-based photoangiolytic laser treatment of Reinke’s edema.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingAcademic medical...
A study of protein-binding of 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate in plasma

Abstract The extent of plasma protein-binding of 99m Tc-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) at 10 min, 1, 2 and 3 h after injection into patients has been determined by trichloroacetic acid and ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis and Sephadex gel chromatography. The percent administered dose bound to plasma proteins decreases with time, whereas the fraction of the plasma activity bound to plasma proteins increases with time after injection. Urinary excretion of the tracer is about 38% at 2 h and 62% at 24 h. The results suggest that the rate of removal of 99m Tc-MDP by bone uptake and urinary excretion is much faster than the rate of disappearance of the protein-bound tracer.
Harm avoidance is associated with progression of parkinsonism in community-dwelling older adults: a prospective cohort study

We tested the hypothesis that harm avoidance, a trait associated with behavioral inhibition, is associated with the rate of change in parkinsonism in older adults. At baseline harm avoidance was assessed with a standard self-report instrument in 969 older people without dementia participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal community-based cohort study. Parkinsonism was assessed annually with a modified version of the motor section of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (mUPDRS). Average follow-up was 5 years. A linear mixed-effects model controlling for age, sex and education showed that for an average participant (female, 80 years old at baseline, with 14 years of education and a harm avoidance score of 10), the overall severity of parkinsonism increased by about 0.05 unit/ year (Estimate, 0.054, S.E., 0.007, p <0.001) and that the level of harm avoidance was associated with the progression of parkinsonism (Estimate, 0.004, S.E., 0.001, p <0.001). Thus, for an average participant, every 6 point (~1 SD) increase in harm avoidance score at baseline, the rate of progression of parkinsonism increased about 50% compared to an individual with an average harm avoidance score. This amount of change in parkinsonism over the course of the study was associated with about a 5% increased risk of death. The association between harm avoidance and progression of parkinsonism persisted when controlling for cognitive function, depressive symptoms, loneliness, neuroticism, late-life cognitive, social and physical activities and chronic health conditions. A higher level of the harm avoidance trait is associated with a more rapid progression of parkinsonism in older adults.
ON THE LATENT REGRESSION MODEL OF ITEM RESPONSE THEORY

Full account of the latent regression model for the National Assessment of Educational Progress is given. The treatment includes derivation of the EM algorithm, Newton-Raphson method, and the asymptotic standard errors. The paper also features the use of the adaptive Gauss-Hermite numerical integration method as a basic tool to evaluate expectations necessary to perform the parameter estimations.
Antecedents of organizational knowledge sharing: a meta‐analysis and critique

Purpose – Knowledge is the most important component of sustainable organizational growth and economic performance. This meta‐analysis aims to summarize the determinants of individuals' knowledge sharing (KS) intentions and behaviors in organizations.Design/methodology/approach – The authors organize the knowledge sharing antecedents investigated in 46 studies (n≈10,487, median n=172) into three categories, i.e. knowledge sharer intention and attitude (four variables); rewards for KS (three variables); and organizational culture (nine variables).Findings – Variables in all three antecedent categories positively contribute to KS intentions and behaviors; high between‐study variability exists, and the fail‐safe n statistic suggests the observed effects are robust against a “file drawer” (missing study) bias. Moderator results suggest that motivating KS is easier in collectivist, as opposed to individualist, cultures.Research limitations/implications – In most of the studies included in this meta‐analysis, pa...
A framework for analysis of quotidian exposure in an instrumented world

For a variety of often reasonable motives such as increased security or increased profit, individuals and organizations fill our world with sensors and data collection systems that sample and track our day-to-day activities. Some people freely invite tracking into their lives. Others are enticed by offers of discounts or even free products and services. But frequently our lives are quietly sampled, unbeknownst to us, by those with the power to do so. As a result, individuals face a rapidly declining freedom to lead a private life. While significant sampling and tracking occur online, this study focuses on the convergence of sensor systems in the physical world. It explores the privacy implications of sensors found on our person, in our home, in our communities, and while travelling. This paper provides the following contributions: a model of human-targeted sensor systems and a framework for sensor categorization, privacy threat analysis, and countermeasure development. It concludes with a detailed case study that employs the framework to analyze the quotidian exposure encountered in an ordinary citizen's life.
The Reliability of a Criterion-Referenced Composite with the Parts of the Composite Having Different Cutting Scores.

Rajaratnam, Cronbach and Gleser's generalizability formula for stratified-parallel tests and Raju's coefficient beta are generalized to estimate the reliability of a composite of criterion-referenc...
LINKAGE: An Approach for Comprehensive Risk Prediction for Care Management

Comprehensive risk assessment lies in the core of enabling proactive healthcare delivery systems. In recent years, data-driven predictive modeling approaches have been increasingly recognized as promising techniques to help enhance healthcare quality and reduce cost. In this paper, we propose a data-driven comprehensive risk prediction method, named LINKAGE, which can be used to jointly assess a set of associated risks in support of holistic care management. Our method can not only perform prediction but also discover the relationships among those risks. The advantages of the proposed model include: 1) It can leverage the relationship between risks and domains and achieve better risk prediction performance; 2) It provides a data-driven approach to understand relationship between risks; 3) It leverages the information between risk prediction and risk association learning to regulate the improvement on both parts; 4) It provides flexibility to incorporate domain knowledge in learning risk associations. We validate the effectiveness of the proposed model on synthetic data and a real-world healthcare survey data set.
Identification of oxysterols in human bile and pigment gallstones.

Abstract Background & Aims: Although cholesterol is the most abundant sterol in animal tissues, oxidized products of cholesterol (oxysterols) also occur in mammalian organs and blood and are cytotoxic, atherogenic, and carcinogenic. However, the presence of oxysterols in bile or gallstones has never been reported. Methods: Fresh human bile and gallstones were collected. Sterol content and structure were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Bacterial DNA was extracted from human gallstones. Results: GC/MS identified cholesta-4,6-diene-3-one and cholest-4-ene-3-one, with several as yet unidentified oxysterols in bile and stone samples. Several plant and fungal sterols were also present in gallstones. When 102 human gallstones were analyzed for oxysterols, they were markedly higher (as percent of total sterols) in pigment gallstones, where bacterial DNA is most abundant. Conclusions: These observations suggest biliary oxysterols are associated with the presence of bacteria and may play a role in the pathogenesis of gallstones and biliary tract cancers.
Transplantation of hypoxia preconditioned bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells enhances angiogenesis and neurogenesis after cerebral ischemia in rats

Hypoxic preconditioning of stem cells and neural progenitor cells has been tested for promoting cell survival after transplantation. The present investigation examined the hypothesis that hypoxic preconditioning of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) could not only enhance their survival but also reinforce regenerative properties of these cells. BMSCs from eGFP engineered rats or pre-labeled with BrdU were pre-treated with normoxia (20% O(2), N-BMSCs) or sub-lethal hypoxia (0.5% O(2). H-BMSCs). The hypoxia exposure up-regulated HIF-1α and trophic/growth factors in BMSCs, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor FIK-1, erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor EPOR, stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). Meanwhile, many pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines were down-regulated in H-BMSCs. N-BMSCs or H-BMSCs were intravenously injected into adult rats 24h after 90-min middle cerebral artery occlusion. Comparing to N-BMSCs, transplantation of H-BMSCs showed greater effect of suppressing microglia activity in the brain. Significantly more NeuN-positive and Glut1-positive cells were seen in the ischemic core and peri-infarct regions of the animals received H-BMSC transplantation than that received N-BMSCs. Some NeuN-positive and Glut-1-positive cells showed eGFP or BrdU immunoflourescent reactivity, suggesting differentiation from exogenous BMSCs into neuronal and vascular endothelial cells. In Rotarod test performed 15days after stroke, animals received H-BMSCs showed better locomotion recovery compared with stroke control and N-BMSC groups. We suggest that hypoxic preconditioning of transplanted cells is an effective means of promoting their regenerative capability and therapeutic potential for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
Architecture and structure of canine veins with special reference to confluences.

The occurrence of cell-infiltrated intimal lesions at the confluence of many small tributaries with canine jugular and femoral veins suggested that these areas (confluences) might (1) differ structurally from the rest of the receiving vein and (2) serve as initiation sites for thrombi. To explore these possibilities, the number of tributaries was determined by careful blunt dissection, and the architecture of confluences was studied by light and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In addition to confluences formed by a named tributary (omobrachial), canine jugular veins averaged 11 confluences formed with small (0.2 to 2.5 mm diameter) unnamed tributaries that had not been previously described. Femoral veins averaged eight confluences of which four were formed with small unnamed tributaries. Double-leafed valves were found at 90% of jugular and 76% of femoral vein confluences. Previously such valves were described only at the confluence of superficial with deep leg veins. Corrosion casts of iliac, saphenous, azygous, costocervical, and maxillary veins as well as cranial and caudal vena cava demonstrated a similar pattern of tributaries and valves. The three structures (receiving vein, tributary, valves) that formed the confluence differed, necessitating considerable modification as they approached the area of fusion. Jugular and femoral vein walls contained 5 to 10 layers of smooth muscle, abundant collagen, and a small amount of elastin. Tributary walls contained 0 to 2 discontinuous smooth muscle cell layers, limited collagen, and no elastin. As receiving veins approached a confluence, the thickness decreased by 15 to 77% except at valve attachment sites, which were thickened. A cluster of smooth muscle cells formed the junction of valve leaflets with vein. Endothelium was continuous over the luminal surface of all three structures. Calculations showed that these small-valved tributaries make only a small contribution to venous return. On the other hand, there is considerable information to support the concept that local attenuation of the vein wall would lead to localized vessel dilation, resulting in rupture of the endothelium and basement membrane.
A Monte Carlo computer simulation of the thermodynamic properties of solid N2

Abstract Selected thermodynamic properties of solid N 2 are investigated by carrying out classical Monte Carlo calculations for a system of 108 rigid linear molecules initially disposed in the cubic Pa3 structure and interacting via Mie—Lennard-Jones pair potentials between their ends. One run was carried out at ( T = 96.4 K, V = 23.6 cm 3 mole −I ) using a (12-6) potential, the other at T = 192.8 K and the same volume using a (9-6) potential. Only the latter potential appears to correlate well with recent experimental pVT data. In both runs the molecules were found to be orientationally disordered.
Guidelines for Polymer Flooding Evaluation and Development

Field experience has shown that polymer flooding can be an effective means to improve oil recovery. Evaluating whether a polymer flood is suitable for a given field and developing the optimal design requires considerable analysis and testing prior to full-scale implementation. To help manage this process, guidelines for polymer flooding evaluation and development were developed that are described in this paper.
The spectrum of mobile outreach and its role in the emergency service

In managed care systems, mobile outreach teams can provide a link between general medical services and mental health care by performing diagnostic evaluations and triage.
Berthe Morisot: Inventing the Psyche

(1995). Berthe Morisot: Inventing the Psyche. Women: A Cultural Review: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 191-199.
Popular Theoretical Methods Predict Benzene and Arenes To Be Nonplanar

Planar (D6h) benzene has one (1181i cm-1, b2g) and three (1844i cm-1, b2g; 462i cm-1, e2u) imaginary vibrational frequencies at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G levels of theory, respectively! The spurious frequencies correspond to D3d chair (b2g) and C2v boat (e2u) out-of-plane distortions. Numerous, similar examples where planar benzene is not a minimum are documented at the MP2, MP3, and CISD levels with popular Pople-type basis sets, while the RHF, B3LYP, and BLYP methods exhibit no such problems. We show that, in the sp and spd atomic-orbital limits of MP2 theory, benzene is nonplanar. The observed failure of electron correlation methods with unbalanced basis sets to predict planar minima is not unique to benzene but is also found for other π-delocalized molecules, including pyridine, naphthalene, anthracene, the cyclopentadienyl and indenyl anions, and the tropylium cation. Detailed mathematical analysis reveals that an insidious, geometry-dependent, two-electron basis set incompleteness error...
Molecular mechanisms linking high dose medroxyprogesterone with HIV-1 risk.

Background Epidemiological studies suggest that medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) may increase the risk of HIV-1. The current studies were designed to identify potential underlying biological mechanisms.
Daytime sleeping behavior observed in a Black-and-white Warbler during spring stopover

Nocturnally migrating birds experience loss of sleep during the migratory period especially when undertaking long, non-stop flights. We report a field observation of daytime sleeping behavior in a Black-and- white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) during spring migration. It is likely that this individual was compensating from sleep loss experienced during a trans-Gulf of Mexico flight. Only a few observations of daytime sleeping behavior have been reported in free-living migrants and all have been associated with long-distance flights in relation to ecological barriers.
Meander cutoff and the controls on the production of oxbow lakes

Using satellite images archived by Google Earth™, we measured channel and oxbow-lake characteristics of 30 large meandering rivers to identify the controls on the production of oxbow lakes by meander cutoff. Cutoff produced lognormal distributions of lake lengths within the studied reaches, and the geometric mean lake length of each population correlated positively and exponentially with sinuosity, due to more highly sinuous reaches being comprised of longer meanders and to cutoff removing longer segments of more sinuous channels. We successfully predicted the size-frequency distributions of lakes stored within the flood-plains of five freely meandering reaches using only channel sinuosity and an assumption of the variance about the geometric mean lake length, a variable that did not significantly vary between the studied reaches. While the river's sinuosity remains steady, the temporal rate of cutoff can be estimated using channel sinuosity, the fraction by which cutoff reduces channel length, and the rate at which the reach lengthens by meander growth.
Integrated semigroups and integrodifferential equations

A class of partial integrodifferential equation from viscoelasticity is formulated as the abstract integrodifferental equations in Banach space $$\mathbb{X}$$ : (a) $$\begin{gathered} x'(t) = A\left[ {x(t) + \int_0^t {F(t - s)x(s)ds} } \right] + Kx(t) + f(t),t \geqslant 0, \hfill \\ x(0) = x'_0 \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ and (b) $$\begin{gathered} x'(t) = A\left[ {x(t) + \int_{ - \infty }^t {F(t - s)x(s)ds} } \right] + Kx(t) + f(t),t \geqslant 0, \hfill \\ x(s) = \varphi (s),s \leqslant 0, \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ withA a not necessarily densely defined operator andK andF(t) bounded operators fort≥0. We will assume that the operatorA satisfies a Hille-Yosida condition so that it is the generator of a non-degenerate, locally Lipschitz continuous integrated semigroup. We will then use the associated integrated semigroup theory to prove the existence, uniqueness and continuity of solutions with respect to initial data. A variation of constants formula for (a) is also obtained. The results are than applied to equations of viscoelasticity.
DEVELOPMENTAL ABNORMALITIES IN CHILDREN WITH ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROM (AIDS)

An AIDS-like disease in infants was first described in 1982, with 2 types of clinical pictures reported: a full-blown syndrome and a prodromal stage. Some adults with AIDS have a progressive encephalopathy and suble cognitive changes. A study was initiated to determine whether 6 AIDS children, ages 10 mos. to 6 yrs. exhibited developmental abnormalities. Four children were hospitalized and 2 were examined in the OPD. Five had the full syndrome and 1 the prodrome. Parents used IV drugs in 5 cases, and in 2 cases mothers died of AIDS. Two children were siblings. Neurodevelopmental and psychological examinations were given using Bayley Scales for children < 30 months and the Stanford-Binet for older children. The 4 inpatients had microcephaly and failure-to-thrive; 3 had spasticity, 1 had seizures, and 1 regressed. All 4 scored < 50 on the Bayley. The 2 outpatients, each over 5 yrs., had IQs of 67 and 71, and scored well below normal on language tests. Therefore, all subjects were retarded. Whether this is due to AIDS itself or other factors is uncertain. A larger number of AIDS children and a comparison group of offspring of drug-addicted mothers without AIDS are being studied to clarify the etiology of the developmental abnormalities.
Role of toll-like receptors in cardiovascular diseases

The discovery and characterization of the TLR (Toll-like receptor) family has led to a better understanding of the innate immune system. The strategy of innate immune recognition is based on the detection of constitutive and conserved products of micro-organisms. However, host molecules that are released during injury can also activate TLRs. Engagement of TLRs by microbial or host-derived molecules induces the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may have both beneficial and detrimental effects on the host. In addition to being expressed in immune cells, TLRs are expressed in other tissues such as those of the cardiovascular system. In the present review, the role of TLRs in septic cardiomyopathy, viral myocarditis, atherosclerosis, ischaemia/reperfusion injury and cardiac remodelling after myocardial infarction are outlined, with attention paid to genetically modified murine models. Although much has been learned about stress-induced TLR activation in the tissues of the cardiovascular system, the role of individual TLRs in initiating and integrating homoeostatic responses within the heart remains to be defined. Accumulating evidence indicates that TLRs may play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, viral myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, cardiac allograft rejection and sepsis-induced left ventricular dysfunction. Moreover, heart failure of diverse aetiology is also now recognized to have an important immune component, with TLR signalling influencing the process of cardiac remodelling and prognosis. In the present review, we outline the biology of TLRs as well as the current experimental and clinical evidence for the role of TLRs in cardiovascular diseases.
Genetic analysis of plant regeneration in rice (oryza sativa L.)

A diallel study involving reciprocal crosses of four genotypes (IR8, 36, 54, and 64) was carried out to understand the genetic mechanism of plant regeneration from immature embryo-calli in rice. Regeneration frequency (% of calli that produced plants) varied from a high of 86% for IR54 to a low of 0% for IR36, while regenerated plants per embryo numbered from 0 to 7 when these same IR lines and the F1 hybrids were compared. Combining ability analysis revealed that both nuclear (with both additive and dominant effects) and cytoplasmic genes are important in controlling regeneration in rice. Parental lines and F1 hybrids with high ability to regenerate were identified.
Developmental Changes of Misconception and Misperception of Projectiles

This study investigated the developmental changes of perceptual and cognitive commonsense physical knowledge. Children 4 to 9 years old (N = 156; 79 boys, 77 girls) participated. Each child was asked to predict the landing positions of balls that rolled down and fell off a virtual ramp and to choose the most natural-looking motion from different projectile motions depicted. The landing position of the most natural-looking projectile was compared with the predicted landing position and also compared with the actual landing position. The results showed children predicted the ball's landing position closer to the ramp than the actual position. Children also chose the depiction in which the ball fell closer to the ramp than the accurate position, although the error in the prediction task was larger than in the perception task and decreased with age. The results indicated the developmental convergence of explicit reasoning and implicit perception, which suggest a single knowledge system with representational re-description.
Anti-platelet effects of 100 mg alternate day oral aspirin: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of regular and enteric coated formulations in men and women

AIM While regular use of low-dose aspirin has been recommended for several groups of patients at risk of vascular occlusion, the optimal dose of aspirin to produce a cardiovascular benefit whilst minimizing side effects is uncertain. Further, while enteric coated preparations may reduce gastrointestinal symptoms, the antiplatelet effects of these formulations have not been completely tested. In addition, exceptionally few data relating to these issues have been available in women. METHODS To determine whether a 100 mg alternate day dose of aspirin given in regular and enteric coated formulations for a 2-week period is sufficient to inhibit platelet function in men and women, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 22 healthy volunteers evaluating the effects of these preparations on platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, adenosine diphosphate, and epinephrine, and on plasma concentrations of thromboxane and prostacyclin. RESULTS During the active aspirin phase of the study, all subjects demonstrated a clinical anti-platelet effect as evidenced by failure of the platelets to aggregate in the presence of at least one platelet agonist, and mean thromboxane and prostacyclin levels decreased to 7.5 and 15.6% of baseline, respectively (both P < 0.001). After cessation of active aspirin, all subjects had fully recovery of platelet function as well as thromboxane and prostacyclin production. There were virtually no differences between regular and enteric coated formulations, or between men and women. CONCLUSION These data indicate that an alternate day regimen of 100 mg aspirin given in either regular or enteric coated formulation is adequate to achieve functional platelet inhibition. The clinical efficacy of this dose and formulation of aspirin is being tested in the ongoing Women's Health Study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 40000 female health professionals designed in part to assess the benefits and risks of 100 mg alternate day aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Indications and outcomes of pancreatic surgery after liver transplantation.

Background Prior liver transplantation and immunosuppression potentially translate into significant morbidity and poor outcomes after any type of pancreatic surgery. Little is known about the outcomes of pancreatic surgery after liver transplantation. This study was designed to review our experience regarding the indications and outcomes of pancreatic surgery following liver transplantation. Methods A retrospective review of all liver transplant recipients who underwent pancreatic surgery between 1991 and 2009 was performed. Results A total of 3196 patients underwent liver transplantation, of whom 18 (0.6%) subsequently required pancreatic surgery. The most common indications were necrotizing pancreatitis and lesions of the head and tail of the pancreas. Procedures performed included pancreaticoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, and pancreatic necrosectomy. The estimated blood loss was 500 mL and operative time was 430 ± 224 min. Pathology results revealed malignant lesions in six (33%) patients, pre-malignant lesions in 2 (11%) patients, and benign lesions in 10 (56%) patients. The median time from transplantation to pancreatic surgery was 61 months. The 30-d postoperative complication rate was 77.8%, with median hospital stay of 15 d. The three-, 12-, and 24-month survival rates were 78%, 48%, and 24%, respectively. Conclusions Pancreatic surgery after liver transplantation results in significant 30-d complications. Prior liver transplantation, however, should not be a contraindication for subsequent pancreatic surgery, due to its decent survival outcome.
A clock power model to evaluate impact of architectural and technology optimizations

The clock distribution and generation circuitry forms a critical component of current synchronous digital systems and is known to consume at least a quarter of the power budget of existing microprocessors. We propose and validate a high level model for evaluating the energy dissipation of the clock generation and distribution circuitry, including both the dynamic and leakage power components. The validation results show that the model is reasonably accurate, with the average deviation being within 10% of SPICE simulations. Access to this model can enable further research at high-level design stages in optimizing the system clock power. To illustrate this, a few architectural modifications are considered and their effect on the clock subsystem and the total system power budget is assessed.
Spiro-annulated 2,5-cyclohexadienones via oxidation of 2′-alkenyl-p-phenyl phenols with iodobenzene diacetate

Abstract The oxidation of 2′-alkenyl-substituted p-phenyl phenols via iodobenzene diacetate gives spiro-annulated-2,5-cyclohexadienones.
Introduction to Bayesian image analysis

The basic concepts in the application of Bayesian methods to image analysis are introduced. The Bayesian approach has benefits in image analysis and interpretation because it permits the use of prior knowledge concerning the situation under study. The fundamental ideas are illustrated with a number of examples ranging from a problem in one and two dimensions to large problems in image reconstruction that make use of sophisticated prior information.
Models for Decision Making in Organizations and Some Contextual Variables Which Stipulate Optimal Use

Six organizational decision making models are described and critiqued. It is postulated that an optimum model can be selected by considering: dependencies among organizational units and layers, key tasks of each unit, performance assessment between adjacent layers, and environmental characteristics.
Gene regulation by IGF-I.

Constitutive overexpression of the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) receptor makes 3T3 cells capable of growing in serum-free medium supplemented solely with IGF-I to the total exclusion of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors, the other two receptors that are required for the growth of 3T3 cells. Pietrzkowski et al. (Cell Growth Differ 92:199–205, 1992) found that these cells, overex-pressing the IGF-I receptor, can also be induced to grow by the addition of EGF. We have ascertained that the mechanism by which EGF induces growth in these cells is through the induction of substantial amounts of IGF-I RNA and IGF-I. In 3T3 cells overexpressing the EGF receptor, a functional IGF-I receptor is still required for growth. We have also found, using a temperature-sensitive mutant of the SV40 large T antigen, that the levels of IGF-I mRNA and of IGF-I secreted in the medium are markedly increased by a functional T antigen. Using an IGF-I promoter driving a reporter luciferase gene, we have determined that this increase in the expression of IGF-I by T-antigen occurs, at least in part, at a transcriptional level. It seems, therefore, that transformation by SV40 reduces the requirement for growth factors by increasing the production of IGF-I. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Speaking Aristocracy: Transforming Public Discourse in Eighteenth-Century Connecticut

As cultural authority was reconstituted in the Revolutionary era, knowledge reconceived in the age of Enlightenment, and the means of communication radically altered by the proliferation of print, speakers and writers in eighteenth-century America began to describe themselves and their world in new ways. Drawing on hundreds of sermons, essays, speeches, letters, journals, plays, poems, and newspaper articles, Christopher Grasso explores how intellectuals, preachers, and polemicists transformed both the forms and the substance of public discussion in eighteenth-century Connecticut. In New England through the first half of the century, only learned clergymen regularly addressed the public. After midcentury, however, newspapers, essays, and eventually lay orations introduced new rhetorical strategies to persuade or instruct an audience. With the rise of a print culture in the early Republic, the intellectual elite had to compete with other voices and address multiple audiences. By the end of the century, concludes Grasso, public discourse came to be understood not as the words of an authoritative few to the people but rather as a civic conversation of the people. |Grasso explores the ways that intellectuals, preachers, and polemecists transformed the forms and substance of public discussion and examines the impact of change on complex relationships between religion, politics, and moral authority.