cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Toxicity after Matched Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in the Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide Era.

Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) is one of the leading causes of non-relapse mortality (NRM) following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) has shown promise in managing GVHD. However, cyclophosphamide has known cardiac toxicities and few studies have evaluated the cardiac toxicities that arise following PTCy. Here, we completed a retrospective analysis of matched alloHCT patients at our institution who received PTCy or non-PTCy-based GVHD prophylaxis, with the goal of determining the incidence of cardiac toxicities up to 100 days after alloHCT. We included 585 patients in our analysis and found that 38 patients (6.5%) experienced cardiac toxicities after alloHCT. The toxicities observed included arrhythmias (n=21), heart failure (n=14), pericardial effusions (n=10), and myocardial infarction or ischemia (n=7). Patients who received PTCy had a 7.4% incidence of cardiac toxicities, while non-PTCy patients had an incidence of 5.8% (p=0.4). We found that age > 55 years (p=0.02), history of hypertension (p=0.01), arrhythmia (p=0.003), diabetes (p=0.04), and cardiac comorbidities (p<0.001) were significant predictors of cardiac toxicity, while none of the preparative and GVHD prophylaxis regimens used were predictive of cardiac toxicity. From these findings, we proposed the use of a Cardiac Risk Stratification Score to quantify the risk of cardiac toxicity following alloHCT and found that a higher score correlated with cardiac toxicity incidence. Furthermore, the development of cardiac toxicity was associated with worse 1-yr overall survival (OS) and NRM while the use of PTCy was associated with improvements in 1-year OS and NRM rates.
Past and Present Colonialist Practices: Violence in Indigenous Communities

Violence and Indigenous Communities: Confronting the Past and Engaging the Present is an interdisciplinary collection of fifteen essays in which the authors raise awareness of past and current colonialist practices that continue to impact and shape Indigenous communities across the world. The editors of this volume thematically organized the essays into five sections to guide and expose the reader to different representations of violence within and against Indigenous communities. Trustworthy historic and academic sources serve as the foundation of each essay, as the authors deepen into topics that include captivity, enslavement, displacement, sexual violence, and death. This collection of essays highlights existing curricular and social gaps that have prevented the general community from understanding Indigenous communities’ crucial role and invites the reader to explore and inquire about perspectives that go beyond patriarchal ideologies and a Eurocentric mindset.
ARTERIOSCLEROTIC, DENTAL AND HEPATIC LESIONS IN PYRIDOXINE-DEFICIENT MONKEYS.

Publisher Summary The development of a purified diet for monkeys in the early 1940's led to the investigation of the biochemical and anatomical alterations produced by certain B-vitamin deficiencies in immature monkeys of the species Macaca mulatta . This chapter reviews the major anatomical changes occurring in vitamin B 6 -deficient monkeys. Animals deprived of the vitamin for protracted periods develop arteriosclerotic lesions, caries of the teeth, and fatty or cirrhotic livers. The anatomical lesions in each case bear a resemblance to those occurring spontaneously in humans Investigations of the occurrence of vascular lesions and caries of the teeth in other species deficient in vitamin B 6 are described. Studies demonstrating the beneficial effect of vitamin B 6 in the prevention of caries of the teeth in humans are also cited.
Uridine Diphosphate Glucose Pyrophosphorylase CRYSTALLIZATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE ENZYME FROM RABBIT LIVER AND SPECIES COMPARISONS

Abstract Rabbit liver UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase has been crystallized and further purified to a specific activity of 200 by using preparative centrifugation with sucrose density gradients. The pyrophosphorylase requires a divalent cation. Magnesium is preferred, although manganese, cobalt, and calcium can serve as less effective alternate cation activators. Maximum activity requires a reducing agent, and the enzyme has a broad pH range from 7.0 to 10.5. The molecular weight of the enzyme is approximately 400,000, with eight identical subunits. While the enzyme shows no tendency to form multimolecular aggregates as do other liver pyrophosphorylases, the eight subunits are arranged in a stacked tetrameric configuration. Amino acid analysis, peptide mapping, gel electrophoresis, and sedimentation showed the enzyme to be homogeneous with a single NH2-terminal amino acid being serine. The subunits of the rabbit liver enzyme are chemically identical as confirmed by the foregoing analyses. Although UDP-glucose is the most active substrate, the enzyme will catalyze the pyrophosphorylation of a variety of nucleoside diphosphate hexoses. Rates as high as 14% of that for UDP-glucose were obtained using UDP-galactose as a substrate. The ratio of glucose to galactose activity remained constant throughout purification and no evidence was found for a separate enzyme for UDP-galactose. The equilibrium constant in the direction of UDP-glucose formation was 0.16. The apparent Michaelis constants for UDP-glucose, UTP, and glucose 1-phosphate were 6.6 x 10-5, 3.8 x 10-5, and 4.6 x 10-5, respectively, and that for UDP-galactose was 4.2 x 10-4. UDP-galactose and galactose 1-phosphate are competitive inhibitors of UDP-glucose and glucose l-phosphate with apparent constants of 2.2 x 10-4 and 7.3 x 10-3, respectively. Either 8 moles of UDPglucose or UDP-galactose were bound per mole of enzyme, and the bound UDP-galactose could be replaced stoichiometrically by equivalent quantities of UDP-glucose. The measured chemical and physical properties of the enzyme from calf, rabbit, and human livers are compared.
Myths About Black Women Workers in Modern America.

(1975). Myths about Black Women Workers in Modern America. The Black Scholar: Vol. 6, The Black Woman 1975, pp. 11-15.
The Natural Stream Ecosystem

In the past decade, theory of stream ecosystem structure and function has come to emphasize the origins and fates of organic resources and inorganic nutrients in running waters, which are viewed as subsystems of their watersheds or drainage basins (Cummins, 1974, 1975, 1977; Hynes, 1970, 1975; Cummins and Spengler, 1978; Minshall, 1978). Lotic research, conducted on isolated reaches without a spatial-temporal perspective of general watershed processes, has often proven too narrow to be of extensive use either for the development of theory or management application. Stream order (Strahler, 1957), geomorphic and vegetational setting, and the annual hydrograph pattern exert important controls on biological function. Studies of detritus dynamics in headwater streams have shown the importance of organic inputs from the riparian zone (Fisher and Likens, 1973; Sedell et al., 1975; Cummins et al., 1979). Management of the riparian zone exerts a major control on headwater streams, and such management of headwaters is a primary ingredient in the maintenance of community structure of larger receiving streams and rivers in a drainage net.
Clinical Disorders of Phosphate Homeostasis

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the important elements of the phosphate homeostatic schema and describes the regulation of vitamin D metabolism that pertains to an understanding of certain diseases. The production of 1,25(OH)2D, the active metabolite of vitamin D, is under stringent control. 1α-hydroxylation represents the most important regulatory mechanism in the metabolism of vitamin D. In normal adults, serum 1,25(OH)2D concentrations change little in response to repeated dosing with vitamin D, and remain normal, or even decline, in vitamin D intoxication. Phosphorus is one of the three major factors that regulate the activity of the 1α-hydroxylase enzyme. Phosphate depletion and resultant hypophosphatemia stimulate 1α-hydroxylase activity and increase the serum 1,25(OH)2D concentration, whereas phosphate loading and consequent hyperphosphatemia inhibit formation of this metabolite. The aberrant regulation of vitamin D metabolism encountered in many of these diseases is considered paradoxical. Thus, in virtually all disorders secondary to a primary abnormality in renal phosphate transport, hypophosphatemia or hyperphosphatemia is perplexingly associated with decreased or increased serum 1,25(OH)2D levels, respectively. These observations suggest that the effect of phosphorus on 1α-hydroxylase activity may, in fact, occur indirectly and secondary to alterations in renal phosphate transport systems. In this regard, phosphate depletion and hypophosphatemia and phosphate loading and hyperphosphatemia are associated with compensatory changes in renal phosphate transport that may mediate changes in 1,25(OH)2D production.
A Model to Measure Bombardier/Navigator Performance during Radar Navigation in Device 2F114, A-6E Weapon System Trainer.

Abstract : This thesis modeled a performance measurement system for the Bombardier/Navigator (B/N) Fleet Replacement Squadron student during low level radar navigation flight in the Navy A-6E Weapon System Trainer. The model was designed to determine student skill acquisition measures for the purpose of providing information for decision-making by the squadron instructor and training manager. Model formulation methodology was based on a literature review of aircrew performance measurement from 1962-1980 and an analytical task analysis of the B/N's duties. Over 50 currently accessible candidate measures were listed and a proposal was made for a competitive exercise using A-6E fleet aircrews flying preprogrammed routes to establish performance standards using the candidate measures. Multivariate discriminate analysis was recommended for measure reduction. A sequential sampling decision model selected for evaluation provided fixed decisional error rates for successful training termination decisions and used both objective and subjective performance measures. Several display formats were recommended for use in debriefing.
Personality Traits of Women in Team Sports vs. Women in Individual Sports

Abstract The problem under investigation was to determine if were distinguishing personality traits when women who compete in team sports were compared to women who compete in individual sports. The subjects were chosen from a selected group of 156 women AAU athletes and the 1964 United States Olympic team. Those women who agreed to take part in the study were sent a copy of Form A of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, which was the instrument used to measure selected personality factors. Differences between groups were analyzed by means of the t test. The results indicated that women athletes who compete in individual sports rated higher on the personality factors of dominance, adventurousness, sensitivity, introversion, radicalism, and self-sufficiency and lower on the factor of sophistication when compared to women athletes who compete in team sports. No differences were found in the factors of sociability, intelligence, stability, surgency, conscientiousness, suspecting, guilt-proneness, hi...
The Foreign Language Teacher as a Learner in the Seventies

the greatest number of problems: wide range of abilities, needs and interests; high attrition rate; and a growing feeling of irrelevance. The image of the foreign language teacher is rapidly changing. In the sixties he was expected to follow directives almost slavishly; some manuals told him when to smile, when to take a step backward and forward, when to hold up one finger, etc. By contrast, the teacher of the seventies will be expected to diagnose linguisitic and emotional problems organize learning activities for individuals as well as large and small groups, and rewrite or adapt materials for all levels of ability and interest. In short, the teacher of the seventies will be a creative individual with far more
Private Equity Co-Investment Strategies: Issues and Concerns in Structuring Co-Investment Transactions

Co-investing in private equity transactions is becoming an increasingly popular investment strategy as traditionally passive investors, such as insurance companies, pension funds, and investment managers, seek to leverage their own deal skills to improve the performance of their fund-of-funds portfolios. In a co-investment transaction, the co-investor will invest in the private equity securities of an issuer on a side-by-side basis with an established private equity fund in which the co-investor is often a limited partner. This article discusses the theory behind co-investment transactions, explains what is driving their popularity, and identifies three distinct strategies that co-investors use in their approach to investing. The article also discusses the typical deal terms of co-investment transactions and explains how the particular co-investment strategy employed by the co-investor will drive the negotiation and resolution of those terms.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of Experimental Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca in Dogs: Cornea and Bulbar Conjunctiva:

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca was produced experimentally in 16 beagles by bilateral surgical removal of the lacrimal and nictitans glands; four dogs were not treated, and 12 received tear-replacement therapy on post-operative days 7 through 28. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca was verified by reduction in Schirmer tear test values by post-operative day 6, and there was no response on day 28 to tear-replacement therapy. Corneas of both normal and tear-deficient dogs had polygonal squamous epithelial cells of light and dark electron density by scanning electron microscopy. Light cells had more microvilli and microplicae than dark cells. Conjunctivae were similar to corneas, except for numerous goblet cells on the surface. Corneal dark-cell density and goblet cell density were not different between groups. Goblet cells most often occurred singly in normal dogs, while they were in clusters in tear-deficient dogs. A hypothesis that petrolatum/mineral oil ointment should provide more effective artificial tear replacement than hydroxymethylcellulose drops for tear-deficient dogs could not be confirmed by objective analysis of corneal dark-cell density or conjunctival goblet cell density.
An Erdös-Rényi law with shifts

Abstract Motivated by the comparison of DNA sequences, a generalization is given of the result of Erdos and Renyi on the length R n of the longest run of heads in the first n tosses of a coin. Consider two sequences, X 1 X 2 … X n and Y 1 Y 2 … Y n . The length of the longest matching consecutive subsequence, allowing shifts, is M n ≡ max{ m : X i + k = Y j + k for k = 1 to m, for some 0 ⩽ i, j ⩽ n − m}. Suppose that all the “letters” are independent and identically distributed. The length of the longest match without shifts has the same distribution as R n , the length of the longest head run for a biased coin with p = P ( X i = Y i ), described by the Erdos-Renyi law: P( lim n → ∞ R n log 1 p (n) = 1) = 1 . For matching with shifts, our result is: P( lim n → ∞ M n log 1 p (n) = 2) = 1 . Loosely speaking, allowing shifts doubles the length of the longest match. The case of Markov chains is also handled.
Measurement of Technological and Market Structure—Alternative Methodological Perspectives: Discussion

All three of the papers in this session lived up to the promise of delivering "alternative methodological perspectives," but only that of Paul and Muth and Wohlgenant came close to providing a framework for "measurement of technological and market structure." Perhaps a more fitting and inclusive title of the session, in light of Goodwin and Holt's contribution, would be "Technology, Market Structure, and Price Adjustment in the Beef Marketing Channel." Beef is added because it is on the menu of each of the papers. Taken together, the three papers are timely and important in view of the ongoing changes in market structures and organization of the livestock sector. Taken individually, the degree to which each paper furthers our understanding of those changes varies with the type of issues raised and methodological perspective offered.
Nano-robot enabled characterizations of local electrical properties for nano-structures

Local electrical characterization has wide spectrum of applications in various areas. However, there are a number of difficulties that hinder the precise measurement of local electrical properties of samples, particularly those within nano-scale spatial resolution. Inspired by these challenges, we developed a nano-robot enabled electrical characterization system that can be utilized to pinpoint the local electrical properties of materials, devices, and bioentities with high spatial and electrical resolution. This system consists of an electrical characterization unit and a nano-robot with an augment reality system, which was developed from a traditional atomic force microscopy (AFM). The augment reality system provides real-time visual feedback. The real-time visual display integrated with the real-time force feedback from the nano-robot allows a precise control of the position and force of the AFM tips towards samples, which are significant for the sensitivity of local electrical measurement. The system design and implementation are presented in the paper. Experiments were carried out to study the local conductance of a multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT), demonstrating the effectiveness of this system.
Frequency or probability? A qualitative study of risk communication formats used in health care.

Background. The communication of probabilistic outcomes is an essential aspect of shared medical decision making.Methods. The authors conducted a qualitative study using focus groups to evaluate the response of women to various formats used in the communication of breast cancer risk.Findings. Graphic discrete frequency formats using highlighted human figures had greater salience than continuous probability formats using bar graphs. Potential biases in the estimation of risk magnitude were associated with the use of highlighted human figures versus bar graphs and the denominator size in graphics using highlighted human figures. The presentation of uncertainty associated with risk estimates caused some to loose trust in the information, whereas others were accepting of uncertainty in scientific data.Conclusion. The qualitative study identified new constructs with regard to how patients process probabilistic information. Further research in the clinical setting is needed to provide a theoretical justificatio...
Visual characteristics of inhomogeneous acoustic waves

Abstract Experimentally obtained visualizations of propagating inhomogeneous acoustic waves driven by zero-order antisymmetric Lamb waves (flexural waves) in water are presented. The inhomogeneous waves are visualized by optical holographic interferometry. A series of photographs show the evolution in time of instantaneous acoustic pressure distributions associated with propagating inhomogeneous waves. The photographs reveal characteristic features of flexurally driven inhomogeneous waves such as transversely attenuated wavefronts oriented perpendicularly to the plate boundary and a phase propagation velocity along the boundary approximately equal to the plate wave velocity (250 meters/second). Effects due to the dispersive nature of the flexural plate waves are also noted in the photographic series. Features distinguishing these subsonic, inhomogeneous surface waves (also called trapped or evanescent waves) from the leaky, lateral or head wave and also from incompressible fluid motions associated with low frequency vibrations of fluid loaded plates are identified. The relevance of inhomogeneous acoustic waves driven by subsonic flexural waves to practical sound-structure interaction problems is discussed.
Sustainability of Teacher Implementation of School-Based Mental Health Programs

Evidence-based prevention and intervention programs are increasingly being implemented in schools and it therefore is becoming increasingly important to understand the complexities of program implementation under real-world conditions. Much research has focused on the contextual factors that influence program implementation but less work has attempted to provide an integrated understanding of mechanisms (e.g., teacher-training processes) that affect teachers' program implementation. In this paper, we review literature on factors related to teachers' implementation of school-based prevention and intervention programs, then from this review abstract what we believe are four basic ingredients that characterize potentially sustainable teacher-implemented classroom programs. Finally, we present a sequential model, based on these ingredients, of the naturalistic processes underlying sustainability of teachers' program implementation and describe how this sustainability can be enhanced through provision of teacher training and performance feedback from a classroom consultant.
Indiana University Cyclotron Facility - The First Year of Operation

A progress report on the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility in its first year of operation is presented. Research productivity in the period was substantial, with approximately 225 shifts of beam delivered to some 30 experiments. Nearly half the use was by user groups from outside Indiana University. The versatility of the I.U.C.F. accelerator system was evident from the delivery of 20 proton energies in the range 35 to 164 MeV, 6 energies of 6Li between 55 and 100 MeV, and also deuteron, alpha and 7Li beams. Beam quality was good and scattering spectra with overall energy resolution of 0.05% fwhm at 135 MeV were obtained. Intensities on target began at a few nano-amperes and had risen to some hundreds of nanoamperes by the end of the year. Reliability was satisfactory with unscheduled downtime beginning at about 30% of scheduled operation and falling to below 20% by year end.
The bacteria-removal efficiency of mechanical lavage and rubber-bulb syringe irrigation in contaminated avulsive wounds.

Abstract In a study of the relative effectiveness of a pulsed mechanical lavage and rubber-bulb syringe irrigation of contaminated wounds, it was found that the pulsed mechanical lavage instrument equipped with either a single-orifice, radiant catheter or a multijet tip removed significantly more bacteria than the rubber-bulb syringe. When equal amounts of irrigating solution and the same delivery pressure were used, there was no statistical difference between the amounts of bacteria removed by pulsed-stream and constrant-stream irrigation.
Aerobic carbon cycling and cerium oxidation : significance for Archean oxygen levels and banded iron-formation deposition

Abstract The amounts of organic carbon and iron generally estimated to have been preserved in early Precambrian sediments suggest by implication that only the rapid, oxidative recycling of organic carbon by aerobic heterotrophy could plausibly have kept pace with the oxygen produced annually by net photosynthesis, even with a low global primary productivity of less than 1% of modern global values (Towe, 1990). A global aerobic recycling process would require at least a moderately oxygenated atmosphere to operate. The presence of such an atmosphere as far back in Earth history as 3.8 Ga ago is consistent with, but not proven by, the abundance of organic carbon and the “anomalous” distribution of rare earths in the banded iron-formations of the Isua sediments (Dymek and Klein, 1988). The absence of positive cerium anomalies and the presence of positive europium anomalies in these and other banded iron-formations (Klein and Beukes, 1989; Derry and Jacobsen, 1990) imply that iron oxidation during BIF deposition took place in waters at some depth below the zone of mixing rather than at the surface. A modified Klein-Beukes model using shallow, seasonal downwelling in an otherwise deep-water stratified basin under a moderately oxygenated atmosphere may help explain the origin of some of these enigmatic deposits.
The Gemini replicated-file system testbed

Abstract The Gemini system is a replicated-file testbed facility designed for local area networks and is built using ordinary host unix machines. Gemini was designed to test empirically consistency and recovery schemes for replicated files in a distributed environment. A principle objective is to protect files against a fixed number of host and network failures while maintaining consistent data. Gemini replicated files are implemented as several copies of ordinary files that reside on distinct hosts. We present the Gemini system testbed design and discuss three consistency and recovery schemes: voting with witnesses, dynamic voting, and semisynchronous voting. Empirical and analytic performance results are presented.
Calvarial sarcoid mimicking metastatic disease

A 61-year-old white woman presented with localized cutaneous Boeck's sarcoid and multiple lytic skull lesions mimicking metastatic carcinoma. Complete workup revealed no neoplastic process; biopsy of the skull lesions showed noncaseating granulomas consistent with sarcoid. Although rare, calvarial sarcoid can occur.
Charge relaxation in a single-electron Si/SiGe double quantum dot

We measure the interdot charge relaxation time ${T}_{1}$ of a single electron trapped in an accumulation mode $\mathrm{Si}/\mathrm{SiGe}$ double quantum dot. The energy level structure of the charge qubit is determined using photon assisted tunneling, which reveals the presence of a low-lying excited state. We systematically measure ${T}_{1}$ as a function of detuning and interdot tunnel coupling and show that it is tunable over four orders of magnitude, with a maximum of $45\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ for our device configuration.
Simple and clever decision rules for a model of evolution

Abstract Under the decision rule specified by Kandori, Mailath, and Rob (1993) [Kandori, M., Mailath, G.J., Rob, R., 1993. Learning, mutation, and long run equilibria in games. Econometrica 61, 29–56], myopic adjustment can lead to surprising results, including coordination on strictly dominated strategies. We show that under an alternative decision rule, convergence to Nash equilibrium is guaranteed. Moreover, if rare mutations are introduced, risk dominant equilibria always correspond to long run equilibria.
Longitudinal Brain Volume Changes in Preterm and Term Control Subjects During Late Childhood and Adolescence

Recent data suggest that preterm birth may alter the genetically determined pattern of cerebral development in the developing brain.1–3 The neuroanatomical sequelae of preterm birth have been well described,4–7 but the suggestion that birth at an extremely low gestational age results in dynamic alterations in brain development during childhood and adolescence remains largely unexplored. Numerous cross-sectional MRI studies have documented the structural sequelae of preterm birth in the newborn period, at school age and beyond.8–12 Preterm neonates have reduced cortical surface area measurements13 and lower gray and white matter volumes at term-equivalent age when compared with term controls of the same age,14–16 and studies of school-aged prematurely born children suggest regional vulnerability in the developing preterm brain.17,18 In contrast, MRI studies of prematurely born subjects at young adult ages fail to document differences in total brain or regional volumes when preterm subjects are compared with either control subjects or to their adult-aged siblings.12,19 Although many progressive and regressive events that are critical for cerebral development occur during the third trimester of gestation and in the newborn period, both postmortem examinations and cross-sectional MRI studies of typically developing subjects suggest that dynamic changes in brain composition continue during childhood and adolescence.20–24 Studying normally developing children at ages 5 to 17 years, Reiss et al.25 found that, although there was little change in total cerebral volume, there were prominent changes in cerebral gray and white matter volumes within this time span. The ratio of cortical gray to total cerebral volume was negatively correlated with age, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for white matter in this population. Similarly, Sowell et al.26 described a regional pattern of age-related differences in gray and white matter changes in normally developing children ages 7 to 16 years, although white matter changes were more robust than those for gray. Because neuroanatomical outcome after preterm birth is complex, with ongoing interactions between the environment and the genome, longitudinal studies seem well suited for evaluating our hypothesis that preterm birth would result in long-term dynamic changes in cerebral development. For this reason, we performed serial volumetric MRI studies at 8 and 12 years of age on very low birth weight (VLBW) prematurely born children and term control subjects as part of our long-term study of preterm children.27
Electrodeposited NiAl particle composite coatings

Abstract Metal matrix/metal particle composite coatings were deposited, heat treated and characterized. A nickel matrix/aluminum particle coating deposited from a sulfamate bath was chosen as a model system. By varying the process parameters, up to approximately 20 vol. % Al particles were incorporated into the coatings. Based on light optical and scanning electron microscopy, a schematic model is presented for coating morphology development during codeposition of small, electrically conductive particles. For high deposition current densities, the hardness of the as-plated Ni-Al coating was higher than that of pure Ni coatings due to the nucleation and growth of small Ni grains on the surface of the Al particles. This structural refinement leads to Vicker's hardness of about 350–400 HVN (25 g load) for Ni Al coatings compared to about 200–250 HVN (25 g load) for pure Ni coatings deposited under similar conditions.
Outcomes of diabetics receiving bare-metal stents versus drug-eluting stents.

Objectives: We sought to determine if differences existed in in-hospital outcomes, long-term rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR), and/or long-term mortality trends between patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with either a drug-eluting stent(s) (DES) or a bare metal stent(s) (BMS). Background: Short- and long-term clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing PCI with DES versus BMS remain inconsistent between randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. Methods: Data were collected prospectively on diabetics undergoing PCI with either DES or BMS from January 2000 to June 2008. Demographic information, medical histories, in-hospital outcomes, and long-term TVR and mortality trends were obtained for all patients. Results: A total of 1,319 patients were included in the study. Diabetics receiving DES had a significant reduction in index admission MACE compared to diabetics receiving BMS. Using multivariable adjustment, after a mean follow-up of 2.5 years (maximum 5 years), diabetics who received DES had a 38% decreased risk of TVR compared to diabetics with BMS [HR 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43–0.90)]; diabetics with DES had an insignificant adjusted improvement in long-term survival compared to diabetics with BMS [HR 0.72 (95% CI: 0.52–1.00)]. These long-term survival and TVR rates were confirmed using propensity scoring. Conclusions: The use of DES when compared with BMS among diabetics undergoing PCI is associated with significant improvement in long-term TVR, with an insignificant similar trend in all-cause mortality. The long-term results of this observational study are consistent with prior RCTs after adjusting for confounding variables. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mining tree-structured data on multicore systems

Mining frequent subtrees in a database of rooted and labeled trees is an important problem in many domains, ranging from phylogenetic analysis to biochemistry and from linguistic parsing to XML data analysis. In this work we revisit this problem and develop an architecture conscious solution targeting emerging multicore systems. Specifically we identify a sequence of memory related optimizations that significantly improve the spatial and temporal locality of a state-of-the-art sequential algorithm -- alleviating the effects of memory latency. Additionally, these optimizations are shown to reduce the pressure on the front-side bus, an important consideration in the context of large-scale multicore architectures. We then demonstrate that these optimizations while necessary are not sufficient for efficient parallelization on multicores, primarily due to parametric and data-driven factors which make load balancing a significant challenge. To address this challenge, we present a methodology that adaptively and automatically modulates the type and granularity of the work being shared among different cores. The resulting algorithm achieves near perfect parallel efficiency on up to 16 processors on challenging real world applications. The optimizations we present have general purpose utility and a key out-come is the development of a general purpose scheduling service for moldable task scheduling on emerging multicore systems.
Lens Design for a Prolate-Spheroidal IRA

The basic design consideration for the physical concept of three different types of increasing permittivity dielectric lens are considered and the optimum number of layers to obtain the required field at the focal point of a prolate-spheroidal IRA based on a plane wave approximation is calculated.
Long-term preservation of voice improvement following surgical medialization and reinnervation for unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Summary In June of 1996, we reported improved functional voice results when reinnervation was combined with surgical medialization for unilateral vocal fold paralysis. 1 In addition, it was noted that further wasting of the reinnervated vocal fold was prevented in 96% of these patients beyond 2 years' follow-up. The study reported here compares the long-term preservation of voice improvement achieved by surgical medialization alone with that resulting from combined medialization and nerve-muscle pedicle reinnervation. Further significant wasting of the paralyzed vocal fold with voice deterioration from that achieved by surgical medialization alone was noted between 6 months and 2 years postoperatively in 28% of patients, while only 4% of those undergoing combined reinnervation demonstrated this finding at a minimum of 2 years' follow-up.
Alternate forms of selective reminding for children

Abstract Two alternate forms of Selective Reminding were constructed according to criteria suggested by Kraemer, Peabody, Tinklenberg, and Yesavage (1983). The new forms, as well as the four-footed-animal version, were administered to 55 children aged 9- to 12-years-old from middle and lower socioeconomic groups. The two new forms were equivalent on two dependent measures of the Selective Reminding test. The results suggest that the two new alternate forms are equivalent and reliable for clinical use.
Gating kinetics of batrachotoxin-modified sodium channels in neuroblastoma cells determined from single-channel measurements

We have observed the opening and closing of single batrachotoxin (BTX)-modified sodium channels in neuroblastoma cells using the patch-clamp method. The conductance of a single BTX-modified channel is approximately 10 pS. At a given membrane potential, the channels are open longer than are normal sodium channels. As is the case for normal sodium channels, the open dwell times become longer as the membrane is depolarized. For membrane potentials more negative than about -70 mV, histograms of both open-state dwell times and closed-state dwell times could be fit by single exponentials. For more depolarized potentials, although the open-state histograms could still be fit by single exponentials, the closed-state histograms required two exponentials. This data together with macroscopic voltage clamp data on the same system could be accounted for by a three-state closed-closed-open model with transition rates between these states that are exponential functions of membrane potential. One of the implications of this model, in agreement with experiment, is that there are always some closed BTX-modified sodium channels, regardless of membrane potential.
Acute Alcohol Exposure Induces Apoptosis and Increases Histone H3K9/18 Acetylation in the Mid-Gestation Mouse Lung

Alcohol consumption causes cellular injury and excessive cell death. Recent studies indicate that ethanol can induce epigenetic alterations, particularly acetylation and methylation of histones and hypomethylation and hypermethylation of DNA. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that acute exposure of pregnant mice to alcohol during mid-gestation can induce apoptosis and increase histone H3K9/18 acetylation in the fetal lung. The increased expression of histone H3K9/18 acetylation could alter the expression of genes that induce apoptosis. C57BL/6J mice at day 13.5 of gestation were injected intraperitoneally with 2 doses of 25% ethanol (experimental) or Ringer solution (control) at 4-hour intervals. The fetuses were retrieved at 1, 3, 12, and 24 hours after alcohol exposure. The lungs were processed for detection of apoptosis by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin— deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and for levels of acetylated histone H3K9/18 by immunohistochemistry. In the control lungs, apoptosis was observed in 0.22% and 0.25% of the mesenchymal and epithelial cells, respectively. In contrast, at 24 hours after alcohol injection at E13.5, 3.4% of the mesenchymal and 4.0% of the epithelial cells in the lung were undergoing apoptosis (TUNEL-positive; P < .005). The number of positively stained cells and levels of acetylated histone H3K9/18 staining significantly increased 1 hour after alcohol injection (P < .05) and returned to basal levels after 12 hours. Acute alcohol exposure of pregnant mice at mid-gestation results in increased apoptosis in the fetal lung, and elevated levels of acetylated histone H3K9/18 precede the observation of apoptosis.
How do we know if it works? Measuring outcomes in bystander-focused abuse prevention on campuses

OBJECTIVE: To address acknowledged limitations in the effectiveness of sexual and relationship abuse prevention strategies, practitioners have developed new tools that use a bystander framework. Evaluation of bystander-focused prevention requires measures, specific to the bystander approach, that assess changes over time in participants' attitudes and behaviors. Few measures exist and more psychometric analyses are needed. We present analyses to begin to establish the psychometric properties of four new measures of bystander outcomes and their subscales. METHOD: We collected data from 948 first-year college students on two campuses in the northeastern United States. Items assessing attitudes and behaviors related to bystander helping responses in college campus communities for situations where there is sexual or relationship abuse risk were factor analyzed. RESULTS: Measures of readiness to help (assessed specifically with scales representing taking action, awareness, and taking responsibility), intent to be an active bystander, self-reported bystander responses, and perceptions of peer norms in support of action all showed adequate reliability and validity. CONCLUSION: This study represents a next step in the development of tools that can be used by researchers and practitioners seeking both to understand bystander behavior in the context of sexual and relationship abuse and to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention tools to address these problems. The measures investigated will be helpful for prevention educators and researchers evaluating the effectiveness of sexual and relationship abuse education tools that use a bystander intervention framework.
Counselor Responsibility within Managed Mental Health Care

Several aspects of third-party payment arrangements often raise ethical concerns relative to confit of interest, but none so clearly as the managed mental health care (MMHC) model's utilization rev...
An approach to monitor application states for self-managing (autonomic) systems

Autonomic Computing has gained widespread attention over the last few years for its vision of developing applications with autonomic or self-managing behaviors[1]. One of the most important aspects of building autonomic systems is the ability to monitor applications and generate corrective actions should exceptions occur. The problem lies in those applications where source code is not available and therefore it is virtually impossible to modify the application code to include monitoring functions, or the application code is too tangled with other components which make modification difficult. This hinders the inclusion of autonomic features in many of the legacy applications. In this report, we will describe an approach to build generic monitoring systems for legacy applications.
Seasonal population changes of ammonia-oxidizing organisms and their relationship to water quality in a constructed wetland

Abstract Nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment systems such as constructed wetlands mainly relies on autotrophic nitrification followed by heterotrophic denitrification. Two major microbial groups are now believed to be involved in ammonia oxidation during the first step of nitrification: ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). Here we determined the abundance and composition of ammonia-oxidizing organisms and their seasonal population changes in a constructed wetland to determine the potential links between the constructed wetland water quality and nitrifying microbial population. By using specific primers targeting the amoA genes of AOA and AOB and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), AOA were found to be generally higher than AOB in wetland soils and water in both summer and winter over a 2-year period of sampling. The AOB were not detected at the outlet of the first wetland treatment unit in the winter seasons indicating their more sensitivity to low temperature than AOA. Terminal restriction fragment length polymerization (T-RFLP) analysis confirmed low peak intensities for the AOB species in the winter. The removal efficiencies of NH 4 + -N in wetland water in the summer and winter were 96% and 93%, respectively, while the wetland effluent NO 3 − -N concentrations increased from 4 mg/L in the winter to 11 mg/L in the summer. The more complete nitrification was correlated with higher abundance of ammonia-oxidizing organisms in summer than in winter. Furthermore, nitrification was correlated with a substantial increase of AOB population while the number of AOA in soils remained unchanged. These results suggest that nitrification is mainly driven by AOB in the constructed wetlands treating ammonia-laden wastewater.
Grandmothers and women's health: from fragmentation to coherence.

There is a paucity of models that drive integrated research agendas, and coherent approaches to development and progress of knowledge about women's health. In this article, we review four major models of women's health, present conditions supporting more integrative and coherent models of women's health based on the recommendations by two international conferences, and address major paradoxes inherent in women's health areas. For integrative and coherent models of women's health, we propose to incorporate visions and insights of previous models in developing a more coherent model that includes three major components--integration, transition, and marginalization.
Contrast in reflection acoustic microscopy

Although the reflection acoustic microscope has long been used to study solid surfaces, the contrast that has been observed in images of complex i.c. devices were not well understood until fairly recently. Our recent article where we calculated the acoustic response of different materials suggested that the observed contrast was a strong function of the elastic properties of the surface being investigated. This letter is devoted to explaining the analysis used in our calculations.
Computer analysis techniques for phonocardiogram diagnosis

Abstract An analysis procedure for small digital computers was developed to study heart sounds and heart murmurs in the frequency, time, and envelope domains. Signal processing techniques which can aid positive diagnosis are described and plots are presented to demonstrate their effectiveness. It is shown that heart sounds taken at the same respiration phase are nearly periodic in the systole. This property can be used to compute statistically reliable averaged envelograms, power spectra, and wavelets. The algorithms developed are applicable to may heart diseases, but the initial study is being conducted on pulmonic stenosis, aortic stenosis, and normal patients.
Ionization Energies and Dyson Orbitals of Thymine and Other Methylated Uracils

Electron propagator methods are applied to the calculation of photoelectron spectra of thymine and other C-and N-methylated uracils. The Partial Third-Order electron propagator method is used. Excellent agreement with existing experimental spectra is achieved. Relationships between reductions in ionization energies and antibonding contributions from methyl groups in corresponding Dyson orbitals are discussed.
Intermittency, the second-order structure function, and the turbulent energy-dissipation rate.

In the context of an interpolation formula for a second-order structure function, Grossmann [Phys. Rev. E 51, 6275 (1995)] considered various implications of the asymptotic behavior of the energy dissipation rate for inertial range intermittency. We reconsider the issue and show that the tendency of the nondimensional dissipation rate to asymptotically approach a constant is consistent with finite intermittency corrections. By extending Lohse's ideas [Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 3223 (1994)] put forth in a nonintermittent setting, we compute for intermittent turbulence the Reynolds number dependence of the nondimensional dissipation rate and show that the result compares favorably with experimental data.
A fast classifier for image data

Abstract A technique for nearest neighbor classification is described which is approximately three times as fast as the usual method. Although the new technique was developed specifically for image data, tests on simulated random data show a significant improvement can be achieved using periodic reordering of class attractors.
Wavelet estimation: A first step toward increasing image resolution

In many fields of imaging, the shape of the function describing the incident source wave (“the wavelet”) is known. In seismic exploration, this luxury is not available since seismic sources are affected by their environment. The resultant wavelet that is transmitted into the earth is quite different from any measurement that may be conducted near the source. To many seismic explorationists the wavelet has almost taken a mythical position of stature. More Black Art, mysterious assumptions, advanced mathematics, and handwaving go into wavelet estimation than any other aspect of seismic exploration. The reason for all the effort stems from the need to explore targets that are fractions of wavelengths. This presentation describes some of the methods used in seismic exploration to preserve bandwidth, estimate the wavelet shape, and invert the data to obtain a sharp image.