cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
College Math for 11-Years-Olds

In my letter, "College math for 11-years-olds" (28 July), I stated that "it was apparent after a while that parabolas and hyperbolas could sometimes fall into circles and ellipses or vice versa." This is not true! Under any nonsingular linear transformation parabolas become parabolas, hyperbolas become hyperbolas, and ellipses become ellipses become ellipses (or circles).
Kinetics of Lucifer yellow CH efflux in giant mitochondria.

Abstract The fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow CH was microinjected electrophoretically into giant mitochondria isolated from mice maintained on a diet containing cuprizone. The dye was retained by the mitochondria, indicating that it was contained in a space bounded by a selectively permeable membrane. The labelling was reversible by reversing the polarity of the current. A study of the disappearance of the fluorescence indicates that the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane to the dye (probably the lithium and/or the potassium salts) ranges from 10 −7 to 10 −8 cm/s.
Hadamard's Formula Inside and Out

Our goal is to explore boundary variations of spectral problems from the calculus of moving surfaces point of view. Hadamard's famous formula for simple Laplace eigenvalues under Dirichlet boundary conditions is generalized in a number of significant ways, including Neumann and mixed boundary conditions, multiple eigenvalues, and second order variations. Some of these formulas appear for the first time here. Furthermore, we present an analytical framework for deriving general formulas of the Hadamard type. The presented analysis finds direct applications in shape optimization and other variational problems. As a specific application, we discuss equilibrium and stable shapes of electron bubbles.
Edge Finishing Effects on the Impact Behavior of Chopped GFRP Composites

The low velocity and low energy impact response of two common sheet mold compound (SMC) material systems—SMC-R27, and SMC-R37—were investigated. In addition to characterizing the low velocity impact response and failure progression of the material systems, the edge effects of diamond saw cutting, waterjet cutting and abrasive waterjet cutting were investigated using optical microscopy and contact surface profilometry. Impact force–time and displacement–time responses were measured and used to characterize energy absorption capabilities and potential correlation to post processing operation and fiber volume fraction. Pre and post-impact edge surface micrographs were examined to relate the failure behavior on the machined surfaces. Experiments and measurements all show that the failure zone size and growth behavior are clearly dependent on the edge finishing process.
Damage to protein synthesis concurrent with lipid peroxidation in rat liver slices: Effect of halogenated compounds, peroxides, and vitamin E

Abstract Protein synthesis and lipid peroxidation were evaluated in rat liver slices incubated in the presence of oxidants and protein synthesis inhibitors. Protein synthesis by rat liver slices was evaluated by [3H]leucine incorporation into the trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-insoluble material, and lipid peroxidation was evaluated by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) released into the incubation medium. Protein synthesis inhibition by bromotrichloromethane (BrCCl3) or t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) depended on the incubation time and oxidant concentration. [3H]Leucine incorporation was decreased to 20 and 47% of control values and TBARS were enhanced from the control value of 16.9 to 45.3 and 62.5 nmol/g of liver by incubation for 1 h with 1 m m BrCCl3 and t-BOOH, respectively. Following incubation, both protein synthesis damage and lipid peroxidation were decreased in control and oxidant-treated slices prepared from rats injected with 200 mg of dl -α-tocopherol/kg of body wt. Release of lactate dehydrogenase was not enhanced by oxidant treatment. Protein synthesis inhibitors reversibly decreased [3H]leucine incorporation, but the effect of oxidants on protein synthesis was irreversible. Cumene hydroperoxide and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, but not hydrogen peroxide, damaged protein synthesis and induced lipid peroxidation. The ability of carbon tetrabromide, benzyl chloride, bromoform, bromobenzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, dichloromethane, and bromochloromethane to inhibit protein synthesis was correlated with their ability to induce lipid peroxidation, and with their LD50. The results suggest that oxidant-induced lipid peroxidation and protein synthesis damage occurred concurrently, and that protein synthesis inhibition may be involved in cell injury or death mediated by free radicals.
Can information and communication technologies be pro-poor? $

There is over 20 years of accumulated cross-country evidence on the link between telecommunications provision and economic growth. Looking at micro-studies from a range of countries including Bangladesh, Botswana and Zimbabwe, there is also some evidence that provision of telephony has a dramatic effect on the income and quality of life of the rural poor. This paper examines cross-country evidence to discover if teledensity (the number of telephones per capita) has a pro-poor growth impact—fostering increased average incomes while reducing inequality. It also examines the impact of telecommunications rollout on quality of life variables including infant mortality and literacy. It finds that, historically, telecommunications rollout has had a positive and significant impact on increasing inequality and little impact on quality of life variables. A reason for this is tested and preliminarily confirmed that rollout has (historically) only benefited the wealthy. The paper will then turn to emerging evidence on the role of the Internet in poverty relief and statistics on the access gap in provision between rich and poor, suggesting that this new ICT will also be a force for income divergence. Using the results of the cross-country analysis on telecommunications, the paper will conclude with a discussion of potential policy responses (such as sector reform and universal access programs) to turn telecommunications from a source of growth that also increases inequality to a source of growth that diminishes it. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Post‐acquisition performance of apparel retailers: Is bigger necessarily better?

The merger and acquisition activities of the past two decades have brought about dramatic structural and strategic changes in the retail industry. Retail experts envision this consolidation as a necessary survival tactic for retail formats, especially the department store format, adding that the surviving chains will be bigger and better. Intuitively, such a progression is logical, but is bigger necessarily better? A sample of 89 apparel retailers who had acquired another firm between 1973 and 1992 was examined to determine if, as experts suggest, retail firms do indeed perform better after acquisition. The average pre‐acquisition ROE, ROS and ROA was compared to the average post‐acquisition returns with a sign rank test to determine the number of firms exhibiting +/− change and tested to determine if the trends exhibited were significant. Results indicate that 51 apparel retailers in the sample did indeed experience greater ROS post‐acquisition and 53 experienced greater ROA. However, 55 of the 89 firms experienced lower ROE after an acquisition. Strategies for determining appropriate means for retail growth are briefly discussed.
Small- and High-Strain Measurements of in Situ Soil Properties Using the Seismic Cone Penetrometer:

Seismic cone penetration tests provide an economical and expedient means of assessing small-strain properties (low-amplitude shear modulus, GMAX) and large-strain behavior (shear strength, τmax) of soil deposits from a single sounding. That measurements are taken at complete opposite ends of the strain spectrum permits development of the entire stress-strain-strength representation of soil layers with depth. A modified hyperbola is shown to be appropriate in a modulus degradation scheme for application to static monotonic loading of soils. Also, a global correlation of mass density (ρ) with shear wave velocity (Vs) for all types of geomaterials is presented, which facilitates the calculation of GMAX = ρVs2.
Consolidating the capstone design course responsibility in electrical engineering at Texas A&M University

In 1992, an individual with industry experience was hired to coordinate the capstone design course in the Electrical Engineering Department at Texas AM entry in national design competitions; community service projects; joint projects between departments and colleges; undergraduate research; industry projects; mentoring high school design competitions; and the evaluation of matrix management techniques as applied to the capstone course. An outline of the course content and some analysis of the critical factors in implementing the various alternative design project environments are discussed.
Teacher Evaluation and the Observer Effect

Does the principal's presence in the classroom for evaluation purposes have any effect on student and teacher behavior? The author reports what research has learned on this subject and cautions sch...
The Missing Link: Improving Quality With a Chronic Disease Management Intervention for the Primary Care Office

Bold steps are necessary to improve quality of care for patients with chronic diseases and increase satisfaction of both primary care physicians and patients. Office-based chronic disease management (CDM) workers can achieve these objectives by offering self-management support, maintaining disease registries, and monitoring compliance from the point of care. CDM workers can provide the missing link by connecting patients, primary care physicans, and CDM services sponsored by health plans or in the community. CDM workers should be supported financially by Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial health plans through reimbursements to physicians for units of service, analogous to California’s Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program. Care provided by CDM workers should be standardized, and training requirements should be sufficiently flexible to ensure wide dissemination. CDM workers can potentially improve quality while reducing costs for preventable hospitalizations and emergency department visits, but evaluation at multiple levels is recommended.
Engineering the CNS stem cell microenvironment

The loss of neural tissue underlies the symptomatology of several neurological insults of disparate etiology, including trauma, cerebrovascular insult and neurodegenerative disease. Restoration of damaged neural tissue through the use of exogenous or endogenous neural stem or progenitor cells is an enticing therapeutic option provided one can control their proliferation, migration and differentiation. Initial attempts at CNS tissue engineering relied on the intrinsic cellular properties of progenitor cells; however, it is now appreciated that the microenvironment surrounding the cells plays an indispensible role in regulating stem cell behavior. This article focuses on attempts to engineer the neural stem cell microenvironment by utilizing the major cellular components of the niche (endothelial cells, astrocytes and ependymal cells) and the extracellular matrix in which they are embedded.
Requirement for Both JAK-Mediated PI3K Signaling and ACT1/TRAF6/TAK1-Dependent NF-κB Activation by IL-17A in Enhancing Cytokine Expression in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

Through DNA microarray analysis and quantitative PCR verification, we have identified additional IL-17A-inducible genes— IL-19 , CXCL-1 , - 2 , - 3 , - 5 , and - 6 —in well-differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial cells. These genes, similar to previously described human β-defensin-2 (HBD-2) and CCL-20, were induced by a basolateral treatment of IL-17A, and regulated by PI3K signaling and NF-κB activation. For PI3K signaling, increases of cellular PIP 3 and phosphorylation of downstream molecules, such as Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) (S9), were detected. Induced gene expression and HBD-2 promoter activity were attenuated by LY294002, p110α small-interfering RNA (siRNA), as well as by an overexpression of constitutively active GSK3β(S9A) or wild-type phosphatase and tensin homolog. Increased phosphorylation of JAK1/2 after IL-17A treatment was detected in primary normal human bronchial epithelium cells. Transfected siRNAs of JAK molecules and JAK inhibitor I decreased IL-17A-induced gene expression and GSK3β(S9) phosphorylation. However, both JAK inhibitor I and PI3K inhibitor had no effect on the DNA-binding activities of p65 and p50 to NF-κB consensus sequences. This result suggested a JAK-associated PI3K signaling axis is independent from NF-κB activation. With siRNA to knockdown STIR (similar expression to fibroblast growth factor and IL-17R; Toll-IL-1R)-related signaling molecules, such as Act1, TNFR-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), and TGF-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), and transfection of A52R, an inhibitor of the MyD88/TRAF6 complex, or dominant-negative TAK1, IL-17A-inducible gene expression and HBD-2 promoter activity were reduced. Additionally, IL-17A-induced p65 and p50 NF-κB activations were confirmed and their nuclear translocations were down-regulated by siRNAs of TRAF6 and TAK1. These results suggest that two independent and indispensable signaling pathways—1) JAK1-associated PI3K signaling and 2) Act1/TRAF6/TAK1-mediated NF-κB activation—are stimulated by IL-17A to regulate gene induction in human airway epithelial cells.
Random-process formulation of computationally efficient performance measures for wideband arrays in the far field

Random-process autocorrelations and crosscorrelations in three dimensions here provide computationally efficient mean-square-error and average-gain measures to control main beam and sidelobe characteristics in convex optimization of far-field beamforming coefficients for large wideband arrays. An example optimized with the ultra-efficient interior-point code LOQO illustrates.
Using the Communication Matrix to Assess Expressive Skills in Early Communicators

Many children born with severe and multiple disabilities have complex communication needs and may use no speech or only minimal speech to communicate. Meaningful assessment of their expressive skills to identify communication strengths along a developmental trajectory is an essential first step toward appropriate intervention. This article describes the foundations, structure, properties, and use of the Communication Matrix, an assessment instrument developed specifically to address the challenges of describing the expressive communication skills of children with severe and multiple disabilities. The widely used online version of this assessment tool collects data in an associated database. Sample data on children with specific disabilities generated by this database are presented to illustrate the clinical and research potential of this free assessment service.
Domoic acid production near California coastal upwelling zones, June 1998

Sea lion mortalities in central California during May and June 1998 were traced to their ingestion of sardines and anchovies that had accumulated the neurotoxin domoic acid. The detection of toxin in urine, feces, and stomach contents of several sea lions represents the first proven occurrence of domoic acid transfer through the food chain to a marine mammal. The pennate diatoms, Pseudo-nitzschia multiseriesand P. australis, were the dominant, toxinproducing phytoplankton constituting algal blooms near Monterey Bay, Half Moon Bay, and Oceano Dunes, areas where sea lions with neurological symptoms stranded. Toxic Pseudo-nitzschia were also found near Morro Bay, Point Conception, Point Arguello, and Santa Barbara, demonstrating that these species were widespread along the central California coast in June 1998. Measurements of domoic acid during three cruises in early June showed the )†
Efficient organic bulk heterojunction solar cells through near infrared absorbing metallated thiophene complexes

Recently novel metallo-organic (MO) complexes have been synthesized by the Chisholm group at Ohio State, leading to the potential for a MO complex:fullerene bulk heterojuction solar cell that overcomes the limitations of current polymer:fullerene BHJ solar cell by expanding the usable solar spectrum into the near infrared. These metallated oligimers provide for high absorption at longer wavelengths of solar energy and with very long lifetimes of created electrons for high collection efficiency, leading to a potential efficiency enhancement over conventional organic solar cells. However, many fundamental issues dealing with processability and optimum device topology need to be addressed for this new chemistry system to move from the Chemistry lab to a viable device platform. In this work, prerequisites and preliminary findings of MO complexes for efficient photovoltaic operation are mainly discussed.
Resolution of Mild Ganciclovir-Resistant Cytomegalovirus Disease with Reduced-Dose Cidofovir and CMV-Hyperimmune Globulin

Ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with significant morbidity in solid organ transplant recipients. Management of ganciclovir-resistant CMV may be complicated by nephrotoxicity which is commonly observed with recommended therapies and/or rejection induced by “indirect” viral effects or reduction of immunosuppression. Herein, we report a series of four high serologic risk (donor CMV positive/recipient CMV negative) kidney transplant patients diagnosed with ganciclovir-resistant CMV disease. All patients initially developed “breakthrough” viremia while still receiving valganciclovir prophylaxis after transplant and were later confirmed to exhibit UL97 mutations after failing to eradicate virus on adequate dosages of valganciclovir. The patients were subsequently and successfully treated with reduced-dose (1-2 mg/kg) cidofovir and CMV-hyperimmune globulin, given in 2-week intervals. In addition, all patients exhibited stable renal function after completion of therapy, and none experienced acute rejection. The combination of reduced-dose cidofovir and CMV-hyperimmune globulin appeared to be a safe and effective regimen in patients with mild disease due to ganciclovir-resistant CMV.
Upright cluster services

The UpRight library seeks to make Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT) a simple and viable alternative to crash fault tolerance for a range of cluster services. We demonstrate UpRight by producing BFT versions of the Zookeeper lock service and the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). Our design choices in UpRight favor simplifying adoption by existing applications; performance is a secondary concern. Despite these priorities, our BFT Zookeeper and BFT HDFS implementations have performance comparable with the originals while providing additional robustness.
An investigation of multiple biomarkers among workers exposed to styrene and styrene-7,8-oxide

Investigations of cancer and cytogenetic damage among reinforced-plastics workers have produced contradictory results. In all studies, the focus has been on styrene rather than the carcinogen, styrene-7,8-oxide (SO), traces of which are generated during the manufacturing process. Because styrene is present at very high levels and is metabolized almost exclusively through SO, coexposures to SO have been discounted. This study investigated the relative contributions of airborne styrene and SO and of smoking toward several SO-specific biomarkers (DNA and albumin adducts) and sister chromatid exchanges in the blood of 48 reinforced-plastics workers. Among individual subjects, albumin and DNA adducts as well as sister chromatid exchanges were significantly correlated with styrene exposure. However, among the 20 subjects with measurements to both styrene and SO, albumin adducts were significantly correlated with exposure to SO but not to styrene. Finally, among the 10 job groups, surprisingly strong correlations (0.709 < or = r < or = 0.966) were found between all SO biomarkers and exposure to SO but not to styrene. Calculations suggest that SO was about 2000 times more effective than styrene in producing SO biomarkers. After accounting for the disparate exposures to the two chemicals, a typical worker received 71% of the systemic dose of SO via inhalation; nonetheless, 5 of the 20 subjects received the majority of the SO dose from styrene. Cigarette smoking increased levels of SO-albumin and SO-DNA adducts, suggesting that SO was a constituent of tobacco smoke. We conclude that inhalation of SO should be considered in any interventions to reduce health risks.
COUNTS OF CALIFORNIA SEA LION (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS) PUPS FROM AERIAL COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS AND FROM THE GROUND: A COMPARISON OF TWO METHODS

Pups on San Nicolas Island were counted by two methods; counts by observers on the ground were compared to counts from aerial photographs taken with a 126-mm-format camera with image motion compensation. No difference was detected between photographic counts and ground counts (P = 0.367) when ground counters had unobstructed views. However, ground counts were significantly lower when areas with obstructed views were included in the analysis (P < 0.001). For areas with unobstructed viewing conditions, no difference was detected between counts by the two methods for rock substrates (P = 0.140), sand substrates (P = 0.468), or mixed rockand-sand substrates (P = 0.968). No differences were found among three replicate aerial photographic censuses (P = 0.432), but a significant difference was found between two replicate ground censuses (P = 0.037). Total counts obtained from the aerial photographs were more precise (CV = 0.042) than counts obtained on the ground (CV = 0.078). Less variability in counts was found between photographic counters than for ground counters.
Building Material Flow Accounts in the United States

Summary Building a national system of material flow accounts in the United States could be an important step toward natural resource sustainability. But the task will not be as simple as “If you build it, they will come.” The key to understanding the status of and prospects for official material flow accounts in the United States is to see the picture from the point of view of public sector and environmental innovation generally, rather than from the point of view of building the details of the accounts themselves. A simple model of public sector innovation helps explain what is happening and what needs to happen to make further progress. The model used here has four principal elements: methods, organizational capacity, demand, and actual use. The details and sequence of these elements vary in different situations, but all four must be present for successful innovations. Although aspects of culture, innovation, and government bureaucracy differ from country to country, the basic model appears to be similar across borders, at least in countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Seen this way, recent events in the United States indicate that (1) there is significant potential for such accounts; (2) the United States is moving toward creating them, although not in a systematic manner, which means that the progression and eventual outcome are uncertain; and (3) there are ways for the research community to participate very positively in the public process.
Associations among Context-Specific Maternal Protective Behavior, Toddler Fearful Temperament, and Maternal Accuracy and Goals

Maternal protective responses to temperamentally fearful toddlers have previously been found to relate to increased risk for children’s development of anxiety-spectrum problems. Not all protective behavior is “overprotective,” and not all mothers respond to toddlers’ fear with protection. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify conditions under which an association between fearful temperament and protective maternal behavior occurs. Participants included 117 toddlers and their mothers, who were observed in a variety of laboratory tasks. Mothers predicted their toddlers’ fear reactions in these tasks and reported the importance of parent-centered goals for their children’s shyness. Protective behavior displayed in low-threat, but not high-threat, contexts related to concurrently observed fearful temperament and to mother-reported shy/inhibited behavior one year later. The relation between fearful temperament and protective behavior in low-threat, but not high-threat, contexts was strengthened by maternal accuracy in anticipating children’s fear and maternal parent-centered goals for children’s shyness.
An innovative course emphasizing real-time digital signal processing applications

This paper presents an innovative undergraduate real-time digital signal processing (DSP) course, Digital Signal Processors, which emphases hands-on experiments and practical applications. It enables students to experiment with sophisticated DSP applications to augment the theoretical, conceptual, and analytical material provided in their first DSP course, Digital Filter Design. The inclusion of both software and hardware developmental experiences permits undergraduates to undertake a wide range of real-time DSP projects in their required Senior Engineering Design course. This paper briefly introduces representative examples of some challenging DSP applications, such as acoustic echo cancellation, active noise control, and image compression.
Assessing the availability of users to engage in just-in-time intervention in the natural environment

Wearable wireless sensors for health monitoring are enabling the design and delivery of just-in-time interventions (JITI). Critical to the success of JITI is to time its delivery so that the user is available to be engaged. We take a first step in modeling users' availability by analyzing 2,064 hours of physiological sensor data and 2,717 self-reports collected from 30 participants in a week-long field study. We use delay in responding to a prompt to objectively measure availability. We compute 99 features and identify 30 as most discriminating to train a machine learning model for predicting availability. We find that location, affect, activity type, stress, time, and day of the week, play significant roles in predicting availability. We find that users are least available at work and during driving, and most available when walking outside. Our model finally achieves an accuracy of 74.7% in 10-fold cross-validation and 77.9% with leave-one-subject-out.
Data structures and algorithms for graph based remote sensed image content storage and retrieval

The Image Content Engine (ICE) project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) extracts, stores and allows queries of image content on multiple levels. ICE is designed for multiple application domains. The domain explored in this work is aerial and satellite surveillance imagery. The highest level of semantic information used in ICE is graph based. After objects are detected and classified, they are grouped based in their interrelations. The graph representing a locally related set of objects is called a "graphlet". Graphlets are interconnected into a larger graph which covers an entire set of images. Queries based on graph properties are notoriously difficult due to the inherent complexity of the graph isomorphism and sub-graph isomorphism problems. ICE exploits limitations in graph and query structure and uses a set of auxiliary data structures to quickly process a useful set of graph based queries. These queries could not be processed using semantically lower level (tile and object based) queries
Echocardiographic assessment of percutaneous patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defect closure complications.

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common congenital defect (1 in 1000 live births) and accounts for up to 40% of clinically relevant acyanotic shunts in adults.1 Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is much more common and is present in more than 25% of adults.2,3 The clinical syndromes associated with ASD/PFO represent a significant health burden. Surgical closure is the most common therapy for these defects, and it is associated with low morbidity and mortality. However, it remains a surgical procedure requiring cardiopulmonary bypass, a significant postoperative recovery, and a sternotomy scar that may be undesirable to young patients. Catheter-based techniques for the treatment of ASD/PFO were pioneered by King and Mills in 1975.4 Since then, significant device development and modifications have been made (Table 1). Percutaneous therapy is now the preferred strategy for ASD/PFO closure, by patients and physicians alike, in the absence of complicated anatomy or another indication for traditional cardiac surgery, because it is technically simple and associated with negligible morbidity and mortality.5 Longer-term follow-up, however, remains necessary to more completely evaluate the safety and efficacy of such devices. View this table: Table 1. Summary of Devices Most Frequently Used for Percutaneous Closure of ASD or PFO The role of 2-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during the assessment and management of ASD/PFO has been demonstrated.6–8 Although universal practice standards, in the form of consensus committee guidelines or professional society recommendations, still have to be established for the use of echocardiography in this context, it is used by a majority of groups who perform these procedures. In our institution, TTE with color Doppler and/or agitated saline contrast injection is most frequently the method used to diagnose interatrial communication. Once the diagnosis has been made and percutaneous closure is deemed clinically appropriate, a careful …
Dynamic distortion characteristics of silicon evanescent detectors and phase modulators

The linearity of silicon evanescent modulators and quantum well detectors was measured for the first time. An output IP3 of 21 dBm for detectors and a peak phase input IP3 of 2.6π for reverse biased phase modulators was achieved at 500 MHz.
Signal Chain For The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

The AVIRIS instrument has a separate dedicated analog signal processing chain for each of its four spectrometers. The signal chains amplify low-level focal-plane line array signals (5 to 10 mV full-scale span) in the presence of larger multiplexing signals (approx 150 mV) providing the data handling system a ten-bit digital word (for each spectrometer) each 1.3 microns. This signal chain provides automatic correction for the line array dark signal nonuniformity (which can approach the full-scale signal span).
AE anion exchanger mRNA and protein expression in vascular smooth muscle cells, aorta, and renal microvessels

Intracellular pH (pHi) is an important regulator of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) tone, contractility, and intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Among the multiple transport processes that regulat...
Airflow Characteristics Around the Union City Tornado

Abstract The NSSL Tornado-Intercept Project team intercepted and photographed an intense tornado that struck Union City, Okla., on 24 May 1973. The life cycle of the tornado was photographically documented. Photo-grammetric data permitted velocity measurements from debris and cloud-tag motion. When the tornado was at its maximum size and intensity 2 km west of Union City, maximum measured horizontal velocities in the debris cloud were 60–80 m s−1 at 90 m elevation and a radius of about 200 m. At the same time, cloud tags rotating around the upper periphery of the tornado funnel had horizontal velocities up to 30–45 m s−1 at radii of 400–700 m from the tornado's axis. A few representative calculations of upward velocities yield 13–30 m s−1 in the debris cloud below 100 m elevation and 10–15 m s−1 in a “feeder” band of cloud tags which spiraled into the tornado near cloud base from the northeast. During the tornado's decay stage, tangential velocities of particles orbiting the funnel ranged from 40 to 65 m ...
Expression of Bomapin, a Novel Human Serpin, in Normal/Malignant Hematopoiesis and in the Monocytic Cell Lines THP-1 and AML-193

Our group recently cloned the cDNA-encoding bomapin, a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily, from a human bone marrow cDNA library (J Biol Chem 270:2675, 1995). To understand its expression within the hematopoietic compartment, RNA extracted from bone marrow or peripheral blood from normal donors and patients with leukemia was reverse transcribed and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Bomapin PCR products were readily detected in normal bone marrow, which was designated as a medium mRNA level. In peripheral blood, bomapin expression was low or undetectable in normal donors (n = 6) and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n = 6). Blood from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (n = 6), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (n = 6), acute myeloid leukemia (n = 5), and acute lymphocytic leukemia (n = 5) exhibited low to medium levels of bomapin expression. Furthermore, a high level of bomapin expression was detected in one individual with acute monocytic leukemia. These data suggest that bomapin expression may be elevated in hematopoietic cells of monocytic lineage. Therefore, we analyzed the expression of bomapin within cell lines that exhibited characteristics of the monocytic lineage. Bomapin PCR products were detected in the monocytic THP-1 and AML-193 cell lines but not in CRL 7607, CRL 7541, KG-1, or K562 cells. Induction of bomapin transcripts was not detected in the latter series of cell lines following a 24-hour treatment with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 10(-8) mol/L) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha, 30 U/mL), whereas treatment of THP-1 or AML-193 cells with these agents reduced the intensity of the bomapin PCR products. Northern blotting confirmed these results and showed that the expression of bomapin in THP-1 cells was downregulated over a 4-day period by PMA and, to a lesser extent, TNF-alpha. Immunoblotting was used to show the presence of a 40-kD protein in THP-1 cytosol preparations. Bomapin antigen levels were correspondingly reduced after treatment with PMA. Because PMA and TNF-alpha induce monocytic differentiation in THP-1 and AML-193 cells, these data increase the possibility that bomapin may play a role in the regulation of protease activities specifically in early stages of cellular differentiation.
Continent Urinary Diversion: Variations on the Mitrofanoff Principle

In 1980 Mitrofanoff described a continent urinary diversion, consisting of the bladder with a surgically closed bladder neck emptied by intermittent catheterization of the appendix, which had its distal end implanted in a submucosal nonrefluxing fashion in the bladder and its proximal end brought out as an inconspicuous stoma. Alternatively, Mitrofanoff described a high transureteroureterostomy in which the distal end of the ureter was brought out as a catheterizable stoma. The theme of this approach is the creation of an adequate capacity storage reservoir that is emptied intermittently by the catheterization of a small caliber conduit implanted in a nonrefluxing manner in the reservoir. In addition to the Mitrofanoff procedure, we have modified the principle in a variety of clinical situations and report 10 cases to demonstrate the value of this new concept in continent urinary diversion.
Differentiation of bleeding diatheses which occur following protamine correction of heparin anticoagulation.

Among patients who develop a bleeding diathesis following protamine neutralization of heparin anticoagulation, the differential diagnosis includes hyperheparinemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and protamine excess. The use of the activated partial thromboplastin time in conjunction with the thrombin time and protamine corrected thrombin time is helpful in differentiating among these conditions. Illustrative cases are presented.
Infective endocarditis in patients treated for malignant neoplastic diseases: a postmortem study.

Of 7,840 patients autopsied at Memorial Hospital from 1950 through 1971 28 (0.35%) had infective endocarditis. The frequency of endocarditis in this population of patients with predominantly neoplastic diseases was not greater than that reported in general hospital populations. Infective endocarditis was not associated with any particular type of neoplastic disease. The causative organisms in order of decreasing frequency were Staphylococcus aureus , streptococci, Gram-negative bacilli, and Candida species. Endocarditis clue to infection with Candida was a complication of indwelling venous catheters in three of the four patients reported. Of the cases of staphylococcal endocarditis, 77% occurred prior to 1964 and usually developed on an otherwise normal valve. Streptococcal endocarditis was more frequent after 1964, and the majority of these patients had preexisting valvular lesions. Staphylococcal endocarditis usually developed as a complication of infection in another organ, whereas the site of primary streptococcal infection was evident in only two of six patients. Infection was the immediate cause of death in 21 of the 28 patients. Twelve of these patients had no residual cancer at autopsy.
Fidaxomicin: A novel macrocyclic antibiotic for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection

Purpose The pharmacology, clinical efficacy, safety, dosage and administration, and place in therapy of fidaxomicin for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are reviewed. Summary Fidaxomicin, a macrocyclic antibiotic, has a narrow spectrum of activity against gram-positive anaerobes and is bactericidal against C. difficile . It has no activity against gram-negative bacteria. Fidaxomicin has minimal activity against Bacteroides species, which may be advantageous in maintaining colonization resistance and protecting the gastrointestinal tract from colonization by C. difficile . The minimum inhibitory concentration for 90% of organisms for fidaxomicin against C. difficile ranged from 0.0078 to 2 μg/mL in in vitro studies. After oral administration, fecal concentrations are detected and are directly proportional to the dose administered. Fidaxomicin resistance in vivo has not been reported. In clinical trials, fidaxomicin has been shown to be noninferior to vancomycin in the management of mild-to-moderately severe CDI. The adverse-effect profile of fidaxomicin is comparable to that of vancomycin. The recommended dosage for treatment of CDI is fidaxomicin 200 mg orally twice daily for 10 days. Fidaxomicin should be considered for patients who previously received treatment with metronidazole or vancomycin for CDI and who are diagnosed with recurrent CDI in which a non-NAP1/BI/027 strain is isolated. At institutions where strain typing is not available, fidaxomicin may be considered in patients with recurrent CDI who have not responded to treatment with the regimen used for the first episode of CDI. Conclusion Fidaxomicin is a well-tolerated agent for the treatment of CDI and has been shown to be noninferior to vancomycin in the management of mild-to-moderately severe CDI.
Management of Associated Injuries (Clavicle and Scapula)

The shoulder girdle is a common vernacular for referencing a complex musculoskeletal arrangement which allows for coordinated function of the humerus, clavicle, scapula, and thorax. Shoulder girdle injuries cross a large spectrum ranging from sterno- and acromioclavicular disruptions, to complex fractures, to muscular tears. In the context of chest wall injuries, particularly multi-segment rib fractures occurring in high-energy mechanisms, ipsilateral injuries to the shoulder girdle are common. This chapter will describe the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of associated injuries to the clavicle and scapula.
How i Teach Mitral Valve Surgery

he mitral valve apparatus is a complex, multifaceted Tunit integral to normal heart function. Valve dysfunction can arise from a number of etiologies, and as a result, the scope of mitral valve surgery is quite broad. Some barriers to teaching mitral valve surgery include limited exposure, case complexity, and resident inexperience. To overcome these obstacles, we have found a multimodal approach to be most successful. Foremost is ensuring an adequate case volume for residency training. Exposure to the different types of valve dysfunction is important for residents to understand how to appropriately diagnose and treat each condition. The second is to teach an efficient and reproducible style of operating. Residents have a limited amount of time in which to train. The goal of a training program should be to equip the residents with a method to accurately assess valve pathology, two to three reliable methods of repair, and good judgment for when to replace the valve. Overly complex repairs are often performed by the attending surgeon. Although they provide a certain level of education, they should not be the staple for a training program because they do not allow for the operative independence necessary for residence to achieve full competency. Here we will address our method of teaching residents mitral valve surgery.
Research on Reactive Power/Voltage Control Strategy of Photovoltaic Power Station

A coordinated control strategy for reactive power /voltage of photovoltaic power station was proposed to solve the point of interconnection voltage instability issue in power grid with large-scale photovoltaic station integrated. The proposed control strategy was to maintain the point of interconnection voltage at a certain level,based on the reactive power demand of the calculated the point of interconnection photovoltaic station,and coordinated control all reactive powers in the photovoltaic station. Reactive power coordinated controled commands were issued by coordinated reactive controller to capactive reactors,each photovoltaic inverters and reactive power compensation devices to obtain a reasonable allocation of reactive power to maintain the point of interconnection photovoltaic voltage stability. The simulation results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy were verified.
Use of early hard palate closure using a vomer flap in cleft lip and palate patients.

Abstract Objectives The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of the vomer flap during cleft palate closure. Materials and methods A retrospective review was performed of all consecutive unilateral/bilateral complete cleft lip and palate (Veau III en IV) children who were treated by a simultaneous lip and hard palate closure using a vomer flap. Data were collected for sex, date of birth, syndrome, adoption, cleft palate type, type of repair, date of cleft repair, cleft width, lateral incisions, fistula and location of fistula. Results Ninety-one children (M = 62, F 29) were operated. Mean age at time of lip closure and vomer flap was 5.8 months (range 2.9 months to 49.2 months, SD 7.1) and the mean age at palate closure was 13.6 months (range 6.3 months to 79.9 months, SD 10.8). The mean cleft width at first assessment was 13.0 mm (range 7–22 mm) compared to 8.8 mm (range 4–15 mm) at second assessment (mean difference 4.6 mm, 95% CI 3.93–5.35, p Conclusion The vomer flap leads to a substantial decrease in cleft width, subsequently leading to a low fistula incidence (1.1%).
Innovation and Discovery in the Ethical Pharmaceutical Industry

In this chapter, we focus attention on the process of innovation and discovery in one of the most dynamic and research-intensive industries in the American economy—the ethical drug industry. A pharmaceutical innovation is the first application of a pharmaceutical discovery. The distinction between an innovation and a discovery is important in the ethical pharmaceutical industry because the medical benefits of a pharmaceutical discovery cannot be fully realized until the drug is actually produced and distributed to the medical profession.1 Fortunately, it is not too difficult to identify the innovator—the firm that was first to introduce a certain new drug to the market. What is more difficult is to trace an innovation back to its sources.
Secondary prevention after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a primer.

Purpose of review Despite the benefits of surgical coronary revascularization, patients continue to be at risk for ischemic events in the years that follow coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), mandating the role for postoperative secondary preventive therapy. The purpose of this review was to present a summary on the subject of secondary prevention after CABG, including an overview of a recently published scientific statement, and highlight the newest studies in the field. Recent findings Aspirin and statin therapy continue to be the mainstay of secondary prevention after CABG, although newer antiplatelet and lipid-lowering medicines are being actively studied for their potential benefits. Other important elements to secondary prevention after CABG include the aggressive management of hypertension, smoking cessation, and the initiation of cardiac rehabilitation. Summary Secondary prevention is an essential component of postoperative care after CABG. Instituting preventive therapies after surgery optimizes graft patency and helps patients achieve the highest level of physical health and quality of life following CABG.
Processing and Analysis

Now that the data have been collected, they must be analyzed and processed. Computers are wonderful instruments to process data. We take them for granted now, but some major professors did not have a computer as an undergraduate. It is only since the 1980s that computers have become common fixtures on professors' desks and only since the 1990s that we had the Internet and email. Ask an old-timer about punching cards and floppy disks, and watch them smile.
Are perioperative allogeneic blood transfusions associated with 90-days infection after operative treatment for bone metastases?

Background and Objectives We assessed whether allogeneic blood transfusions were associated with infection—within 90 days—after surgery for bone metastatic disease. Furthermore, we assessed other risk factors associated with infection. Methods We included 1,266 patients surgically treated for a bone metastasis at two hospitals between 2002 and 2013. Blood transfusions within 7 days before and after surgery were considered perioperative. Results We found no independent association between exposure to blood transfusion and infection (odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76–1.37, P = 0.889), nor a dose–response relationship (OR 1.02, 95%CI: 0.98–1.07, P = 0.245). Older age (OR 1.01, 95%CI: 1.00–1.02, P = 0.035), a higher modified Charlson comorbidity index (OR 1.13, 95%CI: 1.05–1.22, P = 0.002), surgery to the axial skeleton (OR 1.89, 95%CI: 1.42–2.51, P < 0.001), and previous radiotherapy (OR 1.45, 95%CI 1.07–1.96, P = 0.015) were independently associated with infection. Conclusions There was no association between allogeneic blood transfusion and infection. We found other risk factors that should be taken into consideration when deciding to operate. J. Surg. Oncol. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa ed. by Mark Gasiorowski (review)

Gasiorowski, Mark, ed. The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa . Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2014. Review by Paul J. Magnarella.
An Exploratory Study of Consumer Price Mastery Index: A Self-Efficacy Perspective (An Abstract)

In the past decade, the Internet has dramatically increased consumer access to price information for many consumer goods and services. Widespread adoption of smartphones also gives consumers current price information at their fingertips and often in real time. Most importantly, the rise of consumer-generated content is purportedly more influential than traditional company-generated content (Euromonitor International 2013), making it a potent and credible source of price information. Inarguably, customers have access to a vast amount of pricing information that might facilitate consumer decision-making.