cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Value of Systolic Time Intervals as Prognostic Indicators in Coronary Artery Disease

As evidenced in this quotation from Hippocrates’ treatise on Prognostics, interest in predicting the course of disease dates from the very beginnings of scientific medicine. With respect to coronary artery disease, the dire prognosis of patients with angina pectoris was uncovered by the very physician who described the symptom, William Heberden. In 1772 he wrote: “The termination of the angina pectoris is remarkable. For if no accident intervene, but the disease go on to its height, the patients all suddenly fall down, and perish almost immediately.”[2]. It was not until the 19th century, however, when quantitative methods for expressing mortality in large populations of patients emerged, that the earliest scientific studies on the prognosis of patients with varying signs and symptoms of coronary artery disease were published. It is notable, in this regard, that the first actuarial study of angina pectoris was reported by Herrick and Nazum[3] only a few years after Herrick had described the clinical picture of sudden obstruction of the coronary arteries. These studies, followed by those of Richards, Bland, and White[4] and Block and co-workers[5], established that among patients with angina pectoris a poor prognosis was associated with the presence of cardiac enlargement, hypertension, an abnormal electrocardiogram, a past history of myocardial infarction and the presence of clinically evident congestive heart failure. The more recent Framingham study confirmed the poor prognosis of patients with manifest clinical heart failure after myocardial infarction[6].
Chapter 9 Methods for Studying Nucleocytoplasmic Exchange of Macromolecules

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the methods for studying nucleocytoplasmic exchange of macromolecules and discusses the morphology of the nuclear envelope that represents the major physical barrier between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. The inherent difficulties in studying envelope permeability and the permeability concepts developed from studies using exogenous tracers are also discussed. A method that avoids many of the technical problems encountered using smaller cells is described for studying the uptake of endogenous proteins by oocyte nuclei. The oocytes are pulse labeled either by microinjection or incubation, and a cytoplasmic pool of labeled polypeptides is established. The rapid accumulation of large endogenous polypeptides could be because of the existence of specific transport processes or simple diffusion. Modifications of the labeling and nuclear isolation procedures should make it possible to investigate quantitative and qualitative changes in nuclear protein uptake during different stages of oogenesis.
Modeling the Thermal Conductivity of Fiber‐Reinforced Ceramic Composites

A review of models for the prediction of the thermal conductivity of uni-directional fiber-reinforced composites will be presented. The ability of these models to give an accurate prediction of the composite thermal conductivity depends on the amount of information known about the constituent phase properties under the assumption that these properties do not change as a result of processing. Also presented are models that take into account the effects of fiber coatings.
Natural Rights and the Right to Choose

1. Introduction: backing into treason 2. The drift from natural rights 3. On the things the founders knew - and how our judges came to forget them 4. Abortion and the 'modest first step' 5. Anti-jural jurisprudence 6. Prudent warning and imprudent reactions: 'judicial usurpation' and the unravelling of rights 7. Finding home ground: the axioms of the constitution 8. Epilogue: spring becomes fall becomes spring: a memoir.
Technique and experience with transabdominal amniocentesis in 50 normal patients.

Abstract 1. 1. Experience with transabdominal amniocentesis in 50 normal patients ranging from 20 to 40 weeks of gestation is described. Forty-six of the taps were successful and 4 were unsuccessful. 2. 2. A technique for performing the procedure is described in detail. Novocain, injected locally, was used for anesthesia. 3. 3. No serious maternal or fetal complications resulted directly from transabdominal amniocentesis in our 50 patients. 4. 4. This procedure provides an experimental, diagnostic, and therapeutic means of studying amniotic fluid.
Credit Scores and Credit Market Outcomes: Evidence from the SSBF and KFS

This study utilizes data from the Federal Reserve Board’s Surveys of Small Business Finances (SSBFs) and from the Kauffman Foundation’s Kauffman Firm Surveys (KFSs) to provide new evidence on how business credit scoring affects the availability of credit to female- and minority-owned firms. SSBF and KFS data are analyzed using a three-step sequential model of (i) who needs credit, (ii) who applies for credit, and (iii) who gets credit. Analyses of data from both surveys show that firms with lower business credit scores are: (i) more likely to need additional credit because their credit needs have not already been met by past borrowings; (ii) more likely to be discouraged from applying for credit when they report a need for additional credit; and (iii) more likely to be denied credit when they need additional credit and apply for credit. However, when the analyses include a comprehensive set of control variables for firm characteristics, owner characteristics, and firm-lender relationships (SSBF data only), results indicate that business credit scores have no incremental explanatory power over that of the control variables, with the notable exceptions of denial of SSBF firms and discouragement of KFS firms. Moreover, the analyses find no evidence that business credit scores have a disproportionately adverse effect on the availability of credit either to (i) female-owned firms relative to male-owned firms or (ii) to minority-owned firms relative to non-Hispanic white-owned firms. Nor is there any evidence from the SSBF data that business credit scores reduce the importance of firm-lender relationships.
Brachypodium distachyon as a Genetic Model System

Brachypodium distachyon has emerged as a powerful model system for studying the genetics of flowering plants. Originally chosen for its phylogenetic proximity to the large-genome cereal crops wheat and barley, it is proving to be useful for more than simply providing markers for comparative mapping. Studies in B. distachyon have provided new insight into the structure and physiology of plant cell walls, the development and chemical composition of endosperm, and the genetic basis for cold tolerance. Recent work on auxin transport has uncovered mechanisms that apply to all angiosperms other than Arabidopsis. In addition to the areas in which it is currently used, B. distachyon is uniquely suited for studies of floral development, vein patterning, the controls of the perennial versus annual habit, and genome organization.
Sodium nitroprusside and cGMP decrease Ca2+ channel availability in basilar artery smooth muscle cells.

We studied the effect of the nitric oxide (NO) donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), on the macroscopic and single-channel currents due to the 22-pS Ca2+ channel in smooth muscle cells from guinea pig basilar artery. In nystatin-perforated whole-cell recordings, 50 nM SNP decreased the macroscopic current to 63+/-12% of control values, without changing the voltage dependence of the current. In cell-attached patches with BAY-K8644 in the pipette, SNP caused a comparable decrease in single-channel availability (n . Po) that was dose dependent over the range of 10 nM to 10 microM SNP. SNP had no effect on single-channel properties, including slope conductance, voltage dependence of activation, the number of open states, the time constants of the open states, and the proportion of time spent in each open state. The effect of SNP (50 nM) on single Ca2+ channel openings was reproduced by 8-Br-cGMP (100 microM), which also reduced channel availability without altering channel properties. The protein kinase inhibitor H-8 (1.5 microM), which exhibits relative specificity for cGMP-dependent protein kinase, completely inhibited the decrease in single-channel availability expected with SNP. The dose-dependent decrease in Ca2+ channel availability caused by SNP was not altered by prior application of 8-Br-cAMP or forskolin, both of which cause an increase in Ca2+ channel availability in these cells. Our findings suggest that NO decreases openings of Ca2+ channels in basilar artery smooth muscle cells without altering channel properties, and that it does so by a mechanism likely to involve cGMP-dependent protein kinase.
Optically thin broad-line clouds in active galactic nuclei

The broad-line region (BLR) in Seyfert galaxy nuclei exhibits correlated variations in continuum and emission-line luminosity that are qualitatively consistent with photoionization of ionization-bounded (optically thick) clouds. However, evidence is growing that a nonnegligible fraction of the BLR cloud population is optically thin to the Lyman continuum and fully ionized in hydrogen. We consider the implications of this nebular component for observed line emission and find that inclusion of thin clouds in photoionization calculations can resolve several outstanding puzzles of Seyfert variability, notably the behavior of the C IV lambda 1549/Ly-alpha ratio as a function of continuum luminosity. A similar population of thin clouds located along our line of sight can account for observed ultraviolet absorption features and 'warm absorber' behavior at X-ray energies. The Baldwin effect for active galaxies, a negative correlation between ultraviolet emission-line equivalent width and continuum luminosity, can also be explained in detail by a decrease in the covering factor of an optically thin component with increasing source luminosity. The luminosity dependence of covering factor may result from outflows of thin clouds that proceed more efficiently in intrinsically brighter sources. The presence of absorption features in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that are blueshifted and attain the highest velocities in broad absorption line features associated with luminous QSOs would be consistent with this interpretation.
Dependence of Venus ionopause altitude and ionospheric magnetic field on solar wind dynamic pressure

The shape of the dayside Venus ionopause, and its dependence on solar wind parameters, is examined using Pioneer Venus Orbiter field and particle data. The ionopause is defined here as the altitude of pressure equality between magnetosheath pressure and ionospheric thermal pressure; its typical altitudes range from about 300 km near the subsolar point to about 900 km near the terminator. A strong correlation between ionopause altitude and magnetosheath magnetic pressure is demonstrated; correlation between magnetic pressure and the normally incident component of solar wind dynamic pressure is also evident. The data support the hypothesis of control of the ionopause altitude by solar wind dynamic pressure, manifested in the sheath as magnetic pressure. The presence of large scale magnetic fields in the ionosphere is observed primarily when dynamic pressure is high and the ionopause is low.
Main-chain benzoxazine oligomers: A new approach for resin transfer moldable neat benzoxazines for high performance applications

A new approach has been developed to enhance the processability of main-chain benzoxazine polymers by synthesizing benzoxazine main-chain oligomers that are low in viscosity while maintaining the major part of the advantages of main-chain type polybenzoxazines. A series of main-chain benzoxazine oligomers have been synthesized using bisphenol-F isomers. The structure of the oligomers has been characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The molecular weight has been evaluated using size exclusion chromatography (SEC). For a viscosity study, a mixture of benzoxazine monomers derived from the same bisphenol-F isomers has been used as control and a reactive diluent to control the viscosity.
Detection of DNA hybridization using the near-infrared band-gap fluorescence of single-walled carbon nanotubes

We demonstrate the optical detection of DNA hybridization on the surface of solution suspended single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) through a SWNT band gap fluorescence modulation. Hybridization of a 24-mer oligonucleotide sequence with its complement produces a hypsochromic shift of 2 meV, with a detection sensitivity of 6 nM. The energy shift is modeled by correlating the surface coverage of DNA on SWNT to the exciton binding energy, yielding an estimated initial fractional coverage of 0.25 and a final coverage of 0.5. Hybridization on the nanotube surface is confirmed using Forster resonance energy transfer of fluorophore-labeled DNA oligonucleotides. This detection is enabled through a new technique to suspend SWNTs using adsorption of single-stranded DNA and subsequent removal of free DNA from solution. While the kinetics of free DNA hybridization are relatively fast (<10 min), the kinetics of the process on SWNTs are slower under comparable conditions, reaching steady state after 13 h at 25 degrees C. A second-order kinetic model yields a rate constant of k = 4.33 x 10(5) (M h)(-1). This optical, selective detection of specific DNA sequences may have applications in the life sciences and medicine as in vitro or in vivo detectors of oligonucleotides.
Seeking Relations: Law and Feminism Roundtables

U R R E N T LY the rhetoric of difference and diversity among women dominates discussions in legal feminism about where women stand in relation to each other. The words difference and diversity organize the relationship among women in ways that can eclipse the differential impact of ableism, economic exploitation, heterosexism, racism, and sexism in women's lives. Differences among women are taken into account, for example, in the recognition that some women are doubly and triply disadvantaged. Ultimately, however, the multiple ways in which we as women actually are implicated in maintaining structures of domination in each other's lives can remain uninterrogated. Consequently, while women often seek solidarity, we frequently find it difficult to sustain collective action, given our respective differences. Presuming innocence, each of us is consistently surprised when we are viewed by other women as agents of oppression. The difference impasse, as the confronting of our different socially produced locations might be called, emerges on a daily basis in our relations with each other as women and as members of diverse communities and, more
Dynamics of HIV Infection

HIV infects CD41 cells, with the prime target being activated CD41 T cells. The virus enters these cells, replicates, and, as a consequence, the cells then produce new virus particles. Using mathematical modeling to interpret patient data, we have been able to gain information about this process, and we now believe that infected cells produce virus for about 1 day before they die. Therefore, cells that are productively infected are relatively short-lived, and new cells need to be constantly infected to sustain the infection. Interestingly, in most
The Hydrolysis Cycle of ATP-Binding Cassette Nucleotide-Binding Domains

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins have two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) that work as dimers to bind and hydrolyze ATP. ATP binding elicits association of the two NBDs, with the NBDs in a head-to-tail arrangement and two nucleotides “sandwiched” at the dimer interface. Each of the two nucleotide-binding sites (NBSs) in the dimer is formed by residues from the two NBDs. It is still unresolved whether hydrolysis leads to dissociation of the ATP-induced dimers or opening of the dimers (with the NBDs remaining in contact during the hydrolysis cycle), and also whether the presence of two NBSs is required for ATP hydrolysis or formation of the NBD dimer. Here we performed steady-state and kinetic studies of mutants of the prototypical NBD MJ0796 from M. jannaschii using luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) to assess association/dissociation of the NBDs. We show that dissociation is complete and follows hydrolysis at only one of the two NBSs. We also show that binding of two ATP molecules is necessary for NBD dimerization. We conclude that ATP hydrolysis at one nucleotide-binding site drives NBD dissociation, but two binding sites are required to form the ATP-sandwich NBD dimer necessary for hydrolysis. This work was supported by CPRIT grant RP101073.
General relativity in Newtonian form

It is shown how the use of coordinates where time is measured with clocks moving radially in a spherically symmetric gravitational field leads to general relativistic dynamical expressions that are exactly identical to corresponding expressions in Newtonian theory. The general formalism is developed for the case where the stress-energy tensor is that of a perfect fluid. Expressions like the Newtonian inverse square gravitational law, the Newtonian equation of continuity for fluid flow, Newtonian conservation of energy, etc., follow quite naturally from the fully-fledged exact general relativistic equations. Specific examples involving cosmology and gravitational collapse are given.
Studies of the effect of Ψ-APONIN from Nannochloris sp. on the Florida red tide organism Karenia brevis

Abstract Studies were conducted on the conditions under which the red tide organism, Karenia brevis (a.k.a., Gymnodinium breve ), was treated with Nannochloris sp. The latter organism is known to produce cytolytic agents called Apparent Oceanic Naturally Occurring Cytolin (APONINs). Conventional wisdom might suggest that brevetoxins would be released upon destruction of the single-celled dinoflagellate K. brevis and that efforts to treat red tide outbreaks would lead to release of brevetoxins and enhanced toxicity toward marine species. Earlier studies described conditions by which K. brevis cells were converted to a non-motile form when cultures of K. brevis were treated with an isolate (Ψ-APONIN) produced by Nannochloris sp. but when centrifuged only a small amount of the toxin was released. The present study confirms that the toxin is not released when the K. brevis is undisturbed, however, when the culture is stressed (stirred with a magnetic stirring bar for 24, 48, and 72 h) toxin was released, and the toxicity could be measured using a Microtox analyzer. In the study, it was found that at as few as eighty cells of K. brevis produced a toxic effect of 20% as measured by the effect on Vibrio fischeri . Nannochloris sp. had no effect on the bacteria used in the Microtox analyzer, nor did interaction of Nannochloris sp. with K. brevis in the short term. This effect is presumed to be due to the production of Ψ-APONIN and conversion of K. brevis to a non-motile or resting form.
Center Manifolds for Infinite Dimensional Nonautonomous Differential Equations

Abstract We study a nonlinear integral equation for a center manifold of a semilinear nonautonomous differential equation having mild solutions. We assume that the linear part of the equation admits, in a very general sense, a decomposition into center and hyperbolic parts. The center manifold is obtained directly as the graph of a fixed point for a Lyapunov–Perron type integral operator. We prove that this integral operator can be factorized as a composition of a nonlinear substitution operator and a linear integral operator Λ . The operator Λ is formed by the Green's function for the hyperbolic part and composition operators induced by a flow on the center part. We formulate the usual gap condition in spectral terms and show that this condition is, in fact, a condition of boundedness of Λ on corresponding spaces of differentiable functions. This gives a direct proof of the existence of a smooth global center manifold.
Sickle Cell Anemia and Fetal Hemoglobin

Fetal hemoglobin, the predominant hemoglobin of the fetus, is good for sickle cell anemia. This hemoglobin inhibits the polymerization of sickle hemoglobin. Clinical studies have shown that at any level of fetal hemoglobin, the more that is present, the better off is the patient. We are now able to increase fetal hemoglobin levels by pharmacologic means. We should know shortly if this is associated with clinical benefit.
Dependence of Effective Porosity on Fracture Continuity in Fractured Media

Fractured geologic media are typically considered to behave as equivalent porous-media continua for the purposes of hydrologic testing and modeling. The equivalent-continuum effective porosity of a fractured medium is frequently measured using tracer tests performed over distances that are small relative to the scale of interest in hydrologic and transport modeling. The larger-scale value of effective porosity can differ from the smaller-scale measured value by several orders of magnitude, depending in part on the relative degree of fracture continuity between inflow and outflow zones at the different scales. Based on the results of a simplified numerical modeling study for fractured media with poor continuity at the location and scale of interest, flow is dominated by the intact rock matrix, resulting in a higher effective porosity. For fractured media with uninterrupted fracture continuity at the location and scale of interest, the effective porosity may be substantially lower due to the fracture-dominated nature of the flow.
Age‐related changes in dopamine transporters and accumulation of 3‐nitrotyrosine in rhesus monkey midbrain dopamine neurons: Relevance in selective neuronal vulnerability to degeneration

Aging is the strongest risk factor for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). There is a preferential loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tier of the substantia nigra (vtSN) compared to the dorsal tier and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in PD. Examining age-related and region-specific differences in DA neurons represents a means of identifying factors potentially involved in vulnerability or resistance to degeneration. Nitrative stress is among the factors potentially underlying DA neuron degeneration. We studied the relationship between 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT; a marker of nitrative damage) and DA transporters [DA transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT)] during aging in DA subregions of rhesus monkeys. The percentage of DA neurons containing 3NT increased significantly only in the vtSN with advancing age, and the vtSN had a greater percentage of 3NT-positive neurons when compared to the VTA. The relationship between 3NT and DA transporters was determined by measuring fluorescence intensity of 3NT, DAT and VMAT staining. 3NT intensity increased with advancing age in the vtSN. Increased DAT, VMAT and DAT/VMAT ratios were associated with increased 3NT in individual DA neurons. These results suggest nitrative damage accumulates in midbrain DA neurons with advancing age, an effect exacerbated in the vulnerable vtSN. The capacity of a DA neuron to accumulate more cytosolic DA, as inferred from DA transporter expression, is related to accumulation of nitrative damage. These findings are consistent with a role for aging-related accrual of nitrative damage in the selective vulnerability of vtSN neurons to degeneration in PD.
AMR FDTD solver for nanophotonic and plasmonic applications

Uniform, nonuniform and adaptive mesh refinement FDTD approaches to solving 3D Maxwell's equations are compared and contrasted. Specific applications of such schemes to optical memory, nanophotonics and plasmonics problems will be illustrated.
Marfan's syndrome presenting as a type 3 aortic dissection.

(2) Is the risk of proximal dissection high enough to warrant prophylactic repair before clinically significant aortic insufficiency occurs? (3) If surgery is not warranted now, what indication should be used to determine appropriate timing of surgery (ie, aortic regurgitation by clinical examination, symptomatic aortic regurgitation, signs of congestive heart failure)? (4) How common is a type 3 aortic dissection in Marfan’s syndrome? How does this affect overall survival?
Carcinoma of pancreas simulating giant cell tumor of bone. Electron-microscopic evidence of its acinar cell origin.

Two cases of a previously undescribed tumor were studied. The lesion is a primary pancreatic neoplasm, which by light microscopy has an appearance indistinguishable from that of a giant cell tumor of bone. Electron microscopy was done in one of the two cases. Both giant and “stromal” cells have abundant granular endoplasmic reticulum containing intracisternal granules of proteic nature similar to those described in pancreatic acinar cells. Microvilli are present in the giant cells, and numerous desmosomes are found between the “stromal” cells. These features are strongly suggestive that epithelial—and specifically acinar—elements are the cells of origin of the tumor.
Analysis of medical risk factors and outcomes in patients undergoing open versus endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Objective: The emergence of endovascular repair (ER) for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has provided surgeons with a new technique that should ideally improve patient outcomes. To more accurately characterize the advantages of ER versus traditional/open AAA repair (TOR), we compared the preoperative medical risk factors (PMRFs) and perioperative outcomes (PO) of those patients undergoing elective treatment of infrarenal AAA with ER and TOR over a recent 18-month period at our center. Methods: Through our institutional vascular surgery patient registry, all patients undergoing aortic aneurysm repair of any type between December 1999 and June 2001 were identified. Only those patients undergoing elective infrarenal AAA repair were analyzed. Hospital records were examined for all patients, and PMRF and PO were assessed via Society for Vascular Surgery/International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery reporting guidelines. Student t , χ 2 , Fisher exact, or Wilcoxon rank sum tests were applied where appropriate to determine differences among PMRF and PO according to method of aneurysm repair. Results: During the 18-month study period, a total of 199 aortic aneurysms were repaired at our institution. Ninety-nine elective infrarenal AAA repairs made up the study cohort (ER, n=33; TOR, n=66). When examined by method of aneurysm repair, no differences existed in demographics or AAA size. Patients undergoing ER had a significantly greater degree of preoperative pulmonary comorbidity than patients undergoing TOR ( P P = .52), cerebrovascular ( P = .44), diabetic ( P = .51), hypertensive ( P = .90), hyperlipidemia ( P = .91) or renal ( P = .23) comorbidities between the two groups. Perioperative morbidity and mortality rates were also not significantly different by method of repair. ER was associated with shorter operative time, intensive care unit stay, and overall hospital length of stay ( P P = 0.015). Conclusion: These results suggest that ER offers improvements in hospital convalescent and operating room times but no beneficial impact on overall morbidity and mortality rates when similar PMRFs exist, especially when used at medical centers where low morbidity and mortality rates are already established for TOR. Other centers performing ER should undertake such an analysis to assess its impact on their patients. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:492-9.)
Prescribing and managing oral contraceptive pills and emergency contraception for adolescents.

Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are among the most highly studied medications prescribed. They are both safe and effective at preventing pregnancy when taken properly. 39 OCPs are divided into two groups: (1) combination OCPs and (2) progestin-only pills (Table 1). Combination OCPs contain both an estrogen and a progestin, whereas progestin-only pills (POPs) contain no estrogen. This article primarily focuses on prescribing combination OCPs for ongoing contraception for adolescents and young adult women. The use of progestin-only pills is briefly reviewed, as is the use of OCPs for emergency contraception.
5.3.4 Cost & Performance Measures in System Design

This paper will describe one model for optimizing the performance and reliability of a new system. The model defines cost-performance and cost-reliability measures. The paper provides an overview of how a design process using re-configurable elements is accomplished. The process highlights the cost, performance benefits of a design currently being developed against currently available alternatives. The criteria for selecting performance and reliability metrics are cost optimization. This paper will demonstrate the improvement in reliability and performance as applied to a processing application, when this optimization process is used.
Markers and the initial triage and treatment of patients with chest pain

Emergency departments evaluate nearly 8 million patients with chest pain per year. Nearly 4 million of these individuals are admitted to inpatient units for further evaluation and treatment, but only 30% of these admitted patients ultimately have the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Previously, the initial evaluation of patients with chest discomfort presenting to the emergency department (ED) involved the triad of history, physical, and ECG. Current evidence demonstrates that a fourth element, cardiac markers, serves as a valuable aid in not only determining initial diagnosis but also providing risk stratification and dictating initial patient treatment. Chest pain units (CPUs) using serial marker determinations have been successful in identifying patients with or at risk for adverse cardiac events in a timely and cost-efficient manner. New point-of-care-testing (POCT) of cardiac markers at the patient's bedside allows for even more timely determination. This article will review the use of cardiac markers in heterogenous patients presenting to EDs with chest discomfort. We will focus on the use of markers in the risk stratification and initial treatment of the ED chest pain population and emphasize the role of CPUs and POCT.
The effects of chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos on the lower respiratory tract: analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage constituents.

Abstract This study was designed to evaluate the effects of amphibole and serpentine asbestos inhalation on the constituents of the lower respiratory tract. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analyses were performed on three groups of rats: one group was exposed to chrysotile (serpentine) asbestos, another group was exposed to crocidolite amphibole asbestos, while a third group was sham-exposed. Intermittent inhalational exposures lasted three months. The total BAL cell yields and the macrophage content of BAL cells were significantly lower after asbestos exposure, especially in the chrysotile-exposed group. These effects persisted for as long as 1 year after the cessation of exposure. Multinucleated macrophages were seen in BAL cells from both asbestos-exposed groups. Striking ultrastructural alterations of macrophage morphology were noted in BAL cells from both groups of asbestos-exposed rats. Chrysotile fibers were not seen in any BAL cells from chrysotile-exposed animals. However, 15 months after terminating the exposure regimen, a sizeable proportion of BAL macrophages from crocidolite-exposed rats contained phagocytosed asbestos fibers. Significantly higher β-glucuronidase and lactate dehydrogenase activity was found in BAL fluids from both asbestos-exposed groups and was detected 17–18 months after exposure had ceased. These observations have served as useful correlates of asbestos-mediated injury to the lower respiratory tract. They have also provided evidence of continual pathological sequelae occurring long after withdrawal from asbestos exposure.
On Pure Subgroups of Locally Compact Abelian Groups

In this note, we construct an example of a locally compact abelian group G = C × D (where C is a compact group and D is a discrete group) and a closed pure subgroup of G having nonpure annihilator in the Pontrjagin dual $\hat{G}$, answering a question raised by Hartman and Hulanicki. A simple proof of the following result is given: Suppose ${\frak K}$ is a class of locally compact abelian groups such that $G \in {\frak K}$ implies that $\hat{G} \in {\frak K}$ and nG is closed in G for each positive integer n. If H is a closed subgroup of a group $G \in {\frak K}$, then H is topologically pure in G exactly if the annihilator of H is topologically pure in $\hat{G}$. This result extends a theorem of Hartman and Hulanicki.
Determination of enzyme mechanisms by molecular dynamics: studies on quinoproteins, methanol dehydrogenase, and soluble glucose dehydrogenase.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out to study the enzymatic mechanisms of quinoproteins, methanol dehydrogenase (MDH), and soluble glucose dehydrogenase (sGDH). The mechanisms of reduction of the orthoquinone cofactor (PQQ) of MDH and sGDH involve concerted base-catalyzed proton abstraction from the hydroxyl moiety of methanol or from the 1-hydroxyl of glucose, and hydride equivalent transfer from the substrate to the quinone carbonyl carbon C5 of PQQ. The products of methanol and glucose oxidation are formaldehyde and glucolactone, respectively. The immediate product of PQQ reduction, PQQH− [−HC5(O−) −C4( = O) −] and PQQH [−HC5(OH) −C4( = O) −] converts to the hydroquinone PQQH2 [−C5(OH) = C4(OH) −]. The main focus is on MD structures of MDH • PQQ • methanol, MDH • PQQH−, MDH • PQQH, sGDH • PQQ • glucose, sGDH • PQQH− (glucolactone, and sGDH • PQQH. The reaction PQQ → PQQH− occurs with Glu 171–CO2− and His 144–Im as the base species in MDH and sGDH, respectively. The general-base-catalyzed hydroxyl proton abstraction from substrate concerted with hydride transfer to the C5 of PQQ is assisted by hydrogen-bonding to the C5 = O by Wat1 and Arg 324 in MDH and by Wat89 and Arg 228 in sGDH. Asp 297–COOH would act as a proton donor for the reaction PQQH− → PQQH, if formed by transfer of the proton from Glu 171–COOH to Asp 297–CO2− in MDH. For PQQH → PQQH2, migration of H5 to the C4 oxygen may be assisted by a weak base like water (either by crystal water Wat97 or bulk solvent, hydrogen-bonded to Glu 171–CO2− in MDH and by Wat89 in sGDH).
Kinetics of organomercurial reactions with model thiols: sensitivity to exchange of the mercurial labile ligand.

Abstract Stop-flow kinetic studies are reported for the reaction of glutathione (GSH) with 2-chloromercuri-4-nitrophenol. The second-order rate constant was found to vary by less than twofold in going from pH 5.9 to 7.3, suggesting that the reaction involves attack of the un-ionized glutathione thiol on the mercurial around pH 7. The rate constant was 1.5 × 107 m −1 s−1 at pH 7.0 and 8 °C in dilute buffer of ionic strength 0.2. The sensitivity of the kinetics to the nature of the leaving group in the mercurial i.e., to the labile ligand, was investigated in complexes of the mercurial with OH−, N3−, Br−, Cl−, CN−, SCN−, pyrophosphate, ADP, ATP, EDTA, and adenosine. The addition of most of these substances was observed to lead to rate enhancements or rate retardations, the kinetic effects showing typical binding isotherm behavior when plotted as a function of the added ligand concentration. The kinetic midpoints of such plots showed very good correlation with the independently determined affinities they had toward the mercurial. The results demonstrate that many commonly added compounds of biochemical interest can significantly influence mercurial reactivity toward thiols through rapid exchange at the labile ligand position of the mercurial.
Using video podcasts outside the classroom

Many institutions are creating both audio and video podcasts of classroom lectures. Here at the University of Delaware, we are using videos in many creative ways. We take the most common consulting questions and create videos that instruct users how to solve those problems. Our videos complement our web pages and show people exactly what they need to do. With rapid changes in we knew we needed to take a fresh look at how we kept our user community informed. The traditional methods generated a high volume of calls to our help desk and we hoped to provide an alternative to reduce it considerably. We organized a team of existing staff members and created our own video production unit. Our team consists of technical writers, videographers, and editors, all self-taught over the course of this project. Over the course of the year, we created podcasts that describe IT department services, promote IT facilities on campus, and build awareness about technology and computing issues via public service announcements. We will give an overview of our production process, how we have used videos up to this point, and ideas we have for the future.
The OLUC from an NACO point of View: Eliminating derived search keys

The current resurgence of cooperative cataloging initiatives requires that the Online Union Catalog (OLUC) search keys evolve to allow more precise searching. OCLC has made great strides recently in ways to search the OLUC (the scan title search being a tremendous improvement). Two recent events, combined with the cooperative cataloging activities, prompt this call for accelerated change in OLUC search mechanisms. Phrase searching, until now not available (the scan search is only partially there), must be brought into existence soon to support and promote the renewed emphasis on cooperative efforts. In doing so, we will all benefit. OCLC will get a more dynamic, cleaner database to market and, increasingly, to repackage and sell. Catalog departments worldwide will have a better source database and have an easier time making greater contributions in cooperative programs. As for the derived search keys, they don′t really need to die – withering from disuse would be fine.
An investigation into the effect of a more accurate measure of distance on the detailed facility layout problem

The Process Facility Layout Problem (PFLP) involves the arrangement of a given number of departments within a facility in order to minimize the total cost of travel/transportation among departments...
American Pediatric Society 2010 Presidential Address—Epigenetics: A Science of Biological Adaptation—Lessons for Academic Pediatrics

American Pediatric Society 2010 Presidential Address—Epigenetics: A Science of Biological Adaptation—Lessons for Academic Pediatrics
Toothpaste allergy with intractable perioral rash in a 10-year old boy.

Allergic reactions and contact dermatitis caused by the ingredients in toothpaste have been reported. 1 Some studies have documented allergic reactions to the flavorings used, especially cinnamic aldehyde.,3 Others have reported skin reactions to the preservatives, especially sodium benzoate,4-6 and to aluminum. Still others have shown contact dermatitis caused by sodium lauryl sulfate and propylene glycol, both common ingredients in every commercial toothpaste brand, even the all-natural brands.s Allergy to toothpaste ingredients is considered rare, but its rarity might be because it is hard to diagnose. Treatment options are linked to the symptom (the rash) as opposed to the cause (the allergen). Oral antibiotics and metronidazole have been prescribed for children with perioral rash. We report here a case of an intractable perioral rash of long duration that we eventually determined to be allergy to toothpaste.
Opiate binding to subcellular fractions from guinea pig ileum

Binding of 3H-etorphine and 3H-D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin to opiate receptors in synaptosomal and microsomal fractions prepared from guinea pig ileum homogenates has been studied. It is found that the dissociation constants for etorphine from all fractions are the same. The binding capacity for etorphine for the purified synaptosomal fraction is greater than for other fractions by a factor of 5. For the enkephalin derivative binding to the microsomal fraction the dissociation constant is greater than for etorphine while the binding capacity is a factor of 3 lower. These results are in contrast to the case for binding to central nervous system subcellular fractions.
Reproductive responses in male rats fed extracts of fescue seed infected by the endophytic fungus Acremonium coenophialum.

ABSTRACTThis study was undertaken to determine whether a methanol extract of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed contained the factor (s) that were responsible for the decrease in male reproductive potential when rats were fed toxic tall fescue seed. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley male rats (ca. 225 g.) were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments containing 50% (w/w) rodent chow and 50%: (1) noninfected tall fescue seed; (2) noninfected tall fescue seed treated with concentrated methanol effluent from serial methanol extraction of infected seed; and (3) the extracted seed residue of seed that was >95% infected by Acremonium coencphialum. Parameters assessed were testicular weight, epidydimal weight, parenchymal weight, progressive sperm motility, sperm motility, sperm count and daily sperm production potential. Significant reduction (P<0.05) for feed intake, average daily gain, testicular weight, epidydimal weight and daily sperm production potential were observed for treatment 2. These data su...
Design Considerations for BEOL MIM Capacitor Modeling in RF CMOS Processes

Modeling of MIM capacitors in high frequency RF applications depends heavily on the design of test structures. An external substrate ring is shown to be essential in capturing and modeling the inherent inductance of the MIM capacitor. Additionally, deembedding of series parasitics plays a very important role in modeling of MIM capacitors since these devices have very low series resistance. Various short structures were studied and their impact on the MIM characteristics are reported. It is shown that a short structure with the shortest path to ground is best suited to deembed the series parasitics.
Interrelationships among Children's Language, Behavior, and Emotional Problems

Prevalence studies of co-occurring emotional/behavioral problems and language problems suggest that there is substantial overlap among these populations of children. Literature is reviewed that suggests that children with co-occurring problems may not be receiving the comprehensive service delivery
Divergence in Regulation of Nitric-oxide Synthase and Its Cofactor Tetrahydrobiopterin by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α: CERAMIDE POTENTIATES NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHESIS WITHOUT AFFECTING GTP CYCLOHYDROLASE I ACTIVITY

Synthesis of 6(R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a required cofactor for inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, is usually coordinately regulated with iNOS expression. In C6 glioma cells, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concomitantly potentiated the stimulation of nitric oxide (NO) and BH4 production induced by IFN-γ and interleukin-1β. Expression of both iNOS and GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the BH4 biosynthetic pathway, was also markedly increased, as were their activities and protein levels. Ceramide, a sphingolipid metabolite, may mediate some of the actions of TNF-α. Indeed, we found that bacterial sphingomyelinase, which hydrolyzes sphingomyelin and increases endogenous ceramide, or the cell permeable ceramide analogue, C2-ceramide, but not C2-dihydroceramide (N-acetylsphinganine), significantly mimicked the effects of TNF-α on NO production and iNOS expression and activity in C6 cells. Surprisingly, although TNF-α increased BH4 synthesis and GTPCH activity, neither BH4 nor GTPCH expression was affected by C2-ceramide or sphingomyelinase in IFN-γ- and interleukin-1β-stimulated cells. It is likely that increased BH4 levels results from increased GTPCH protein and activity in vivo rather than from reduced turnover of BH4, because the GTPCH inhibitor, 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine, blocked cytokine-stimulated BH4 accumulation. Moreover, expression of the GTPCH feedback regulatory protein, which if decreased might increase GTPCH activity, was not affected by TNF-α or ceramide. Treatment with the antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, which is known to inhibit NF-κB and sphingomyelinase in C6 cells, or with the peptide SN-50, which blocks translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus, inhibited TNF-α-dependent iNOS mRNA expression without affecting GTPCH mRNA levels. This is the first demonstration that cytokine-stimulated iNOS and GTPCH expression, and therefore NO and BH4 biosynthesis, may be regulated by discrete pathways. As BH4 is also a cofactor for the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases, discovery of distinct mechanisms for regulation of BH4 and NO has important implications for its specific functions.
Cancer of the breast: size of neoplasm and prognosis.

In this study we utilized information obtained from more than 2000 operable breast cancer patients who had been entered since 1957 into the National Breast Project by 45 institutions. The purpose was to further evaluate the concept that the size of breast neoplasms influences patient prognosis. Only 5% of patients had tumors smaller than 1.0 cm, 48% were larger than 2.9 cm, and 28% exceeded 4.0 cm. The findings, when compared with those previously reported by others, suggest that little progress has been made since about 1950 relative to the removal of smaller breast tumors. Since these data are probably more nearly representative of the size of breast tumors at surgery in this country during the past decade than most other data that are available, they provide a baseline for the evaluation of the worth of a variety of recently employed and proposed diagnostic procedures. Results obtained categorically agree with current thinking that the larger the tumor the more likely that axillary nodes will be positive, that 4 or more rather than 1-3 nodes will be involved, and tumor recurrence and mortality rates will be greater. Such an unqualified statement, however, is an oversimplification of the findings, provides no indication of the magnitude of recurrence and mortality differences to be anticipated from tumors of various sizes, and should be accepted only with reservation. It is speculated, as a result of the data presented and certain assumptions, that if all tumors 2.0 cm or larger (70% of the total) had been removed when they were 1.0-1.9 cm in size, at the end of 5 years the recurrence rate for all patients entered might have only decreased by 10-18%, and the overall survival might have increased 11-20%. From certain considerations and the results obtained, it is concluded that size may not necessarily relate to “earliness” or “lateness” of a tumor, nor is it as consequential to the fate of the patient as are other factors relative to the tumor and /or host that may be present from its inception and which determine the development of metastases. Such a conclusion does not deprecate effort toward earlier diagnosis and tumor removal. It does emphasize, however, that the reasons for such an endeavor may be different from those generally considered at present.
Molecular Fingerprinting of Gasoline by a Modified EPA 8260 Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method

Automotive gasoline is a common petroleum product found at contaminated terrestrial sites. The need to recognize and distinguish different types of gasoline(s) that may be present at a contaminated site and the need to determine the relative proportion of inputs from different sources, are often critical components of environmental 'forensic' investigations. Historically, identification and differentiation of automotive gasolines (particularly when weathered) has been hampered by analytical limitations of existing methods, notably US EPA Method 8260. In this article, we describe a modified EPA Method 8260 that is suitable for environmental investigations involving gasoline (and other light petroleum products). In the modified EPA 8260 method, 109 analytes that can occur in automotive gasoline are quantified in nonaqueous liquid samples (NAPL), water, and soil matrices. The accuracy and precision of the method is demonstrated through comparative analysis using several NIST SRM gasoline standards and replic...