cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
National Study of Index and Readmission Mortality and Costs for Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair in Patients with Renal Disease

Background In the current era of value-based health care delivery, an understanding of patient populations at greatest risk for mortality, complications, and readmissions after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is warranted. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate outcomes after TEVAR for patients with varying degrees of renal dysfunction. Methods All patients who underwent TEVAR from 2010 to 2015 in the Nationwide Readmissions Database were identified. These patients were further stratified into four groups: no chronic kidney disease (NCKD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 1 to 3 (CKD1-3), CKD 4 to 5 (CKD4-5), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis. Multivariable regression analysis was used to study index mortality, early (30 days) and intermediate (31-90 days) readmissions, costs, and length of stay. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to compare readmission performance among all four groups. Results An estimated 121,046 patients underwent TEVAR with 26,653 (22.1%) being elective. Patients with ESRD comprised 2.7% of elective and 5.4% of nonelective TEVAR operations. Patients with CKD4-5 (17.8%; P = .01) and with ESRD (21.1%; P Conclusions Nearly 10% of all patients with TEVAR have evidence of chronic kidney disease of varying severity. Only patients with ESRD are at risk of substantially higher odds of mortality, readmissions, index length of stay, and costs compared with the non-CKD cohort.
Relationship Between Choriocapillaris Flow and Scotopic Microperimetry in Early and Intermediate Age-related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose To evaluate the correlation between choriocapillaris (CC) flow alterations and scotopic macular sensitivity (sMS) in patients with early and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Prospective cross-sectional study. Methods We acquired 2 3 × 3 mm and 2 6 × 6 mm swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images of 1 eye of consecutive early or intermediate AMD patients at the Doheny UCLA Eye Centers. After 30 minutes of dark adaptation, the same eye underwent scotopic microperimetry with an 18-degree-wide grid (52 stimuli) centered on the fovea. The 2 en face CC angiograms obtained from each scan pattern were compensated for signal loss and averaged. The main outcome measures were correlation between percentages of flow deficits (FD3mm and FD6mm) and sMS in the central 10° (MS10) and the overall pattern (MS18). Results Thirty eyes of 30 patients were enrolled, with 14 (46.7%) having subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD). In the averaged OCTA scans, the FD3mm was 12.56% ± 2.41% while the FD6mm was 9.33% ± 1.84%. The mean MS10 and MS18 were 13.84 ± 5.89 dB and 14.64 ± 5.21 dB, respectively. For the MS10, the multivariate regression analysis showed a significant association only with FD3mm (β: −0.628, P Conclusions Our study reports a significant correlation between the CC flow impairment and the sMS in eyes with early or intermediate AMD. If replicated in future longitudinal studies, the choriocapillaris FD may prove to be a useful parameter for evaluating the functional status and prognosis of these eyes.
SHELS: A COMPLETE GALAXY REDSHIFT SURVEY WITH R ⩽ 20.6

The SHELS (Smithsonian Hectospec Lensing Survey) is a complete redshift survey covering two well-separated fields (F1 and F2) of the Deep Lens Survey to a limiting R = 20.6. Here we describe the redshift survey of the F2 field (R.A.{sub 2000} = 09{sup h}19{sup m}32.4 and decl.{sub 2000} = +30°00'00''). The survey includes 16,294 new redshifts measured with the Hectospec on the MMT. The resulting survey of the 4 deg{sup 2} F2 field is 95% complete to R = 20.6, currently the densest survey to this magnitude limit. The median survey redshift is z = 0.3; the survey provides a view of structure in the range 0.1 ≲ z ≲ 0.6. An animation displays the large-scale structure in the survey region. We provide a redshift, spectral index D {sub n}4000, and stellar mass for each galaxy in the survey. We also provide a metallicity for each galaxy in the range 0.2
Class E Asymmetric Inverter Implementation for Near-Field Wireless Power Transfer

The paper investigates the implementation of the phase-controlled Class E asymmetric inverter topology in a near-field wireless power transfer application. The purpose of this design is to achieve high efficiency performance and desired output power through duty cycle and phase shift compensation under coupling and load variations, which is an issue caused by unintentional misalignment of transformer coils. Since the application is near-field, the coupling coefficient k ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 was utilized through simulations, and the appropriate compensation was applied to improve the overall power efficiency of the system.
Impact of Pulmonary Artery Pressure on Survival Outcome of Single- and Double-Lung Transplantation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

Purpose It remains unclear whether double lung transplantation (DLT) or single lung transplantation (SLT) is preferred for end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The purpose of this study is to examine the interplay between patient age and pulmonary artery pressure on survival after SLT vs DLT for COPD. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective study of lung transplantations for COPD between February 2012 to March 2020 (n=186). Demographics and clinical parameters were compared between patients based on their pulmonary artery pressure (PAP; PAP 65 years old) and PAP were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. Cox proportional-hazards regression was also performed. P-value less 0.05 was considered significant. Results Of the 186 COPD patients who received lung transplants, 71 (38.2%) received double-lung transplants and 115 (61.8%) received single-lung transplants. Demographics and clinical parameters between the two PAP groups showed significance in: lung allocation score (p=0.002) and BMI at time of transplant (p 65 years (p=0.723). The Cox model itself, also, did not show a statistically significant improvement in evaluating survival outcomes (p=0.126). Conclusion Lung transplantation outcomes in end-stage COPD patients demonstrated non-inferior results with SLT compared to DLT. When patients were differentiated based on PA pressure, adopting SLT or DLT did not show any survival differences.
The American Shoulder and Elbow Score Is Highly Correlated With the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index and Has Less Responder and Administrator Burden

Purpose To compare the correlation, responsiveness, and responder and administrator burdens of the American Shoulder and Elbow Score (ASES) with the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) for patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair to determine whether one score is superior to the other to limit the use of multiple scoring measures when tracking patient outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of a database of patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair was reviewed where the ASES was simultaneously recorded with the WORC. Correlations were determined using the Pearson coefficient. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine if correlations differed in (1) preoperative outcome and (2) postoperative outcome determinations. Responsiveness was determined by calculating the standardized response mean and the effect size of both scores. Responder and administrator burden was examined using 50 consecutively scored WORC and ASES scores by determining the number of questions accurately answered and the length of time taken to score each questionnaire. Results Correlation was excellent for the ASES and WORC (r = 0.90). The correlation of preoperative scores was strong-moderate (r = 0.69), and the correlation of postoperative scores was excellent (r = 0.86). The standardized response mean WORC = 2.3; ASES = 2.2) and the effect size (WORC = 2.9; ASES = 2.8) demonstrated comparable responsiveness. In total, 71.5% of the WORC questions were able to be scored compared with 93.3% for the ASES (P Conclusions There is excellent correlation and comparable responsiveness between the ASES and WORC. Since there is greater responder and administrative burden for the WORC score, the authors recommend using the ASES over the WORC in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair. Level of Evidence Level IV, diagnostic series.
Energy efficient scheduling of real-time tasks on multi-core processors with voltage islands

This paper studies energy efficient scheduling of periodic real-time tasks on multi-core processors with voltage islands, in which cores are partitioned into multiple blocks (termed voltage islands) and each block has its own power source to supply voltage. Cores in the same block always operate at the same voltage level, but can be adjusted by using Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). We propose a Voltage Island Largest Capacity First (VILCF) algorithm for energy efficient scheduling of periodic real-time tasks on multi-core processors. It achieves better energy efficiency by fully utilizing the remaining capacity of an island before turning on more islands or increasing the voltage level of the current active islands. We provide detailed theoretical analysis of the approximation ratio of the proposed VILCF algorithm in terms of energy efficiency. In addition, our experimental results show that VILCF significantly outperforms the existing algorithms when there are multiple cores in a voltage island. A Voltage Island Largest Capacity First (VILCF) algorithm is proposed.VILCF fully utilizes the capacity of voltage islands to achieve energy efficiency.The energy consumption is optimal when the workloads of all cores are balanced.The approximation ratio is bounded by a value depending on the number of islands.
Multiple hemangiomas involving genitourinary system

Abstract An unusual constellation of multiple hemangiomas of the urinary tract in a young male created acute obstruction in a solitary kidney. The patient's syndrome of multiple hemangiomas is placed in perspective with previously described diseases. Management of his solitary kidney clot obstruction is described.
Operation ARIES!: Methods, Mystery, and Mixed Models: Discourse Features Predict Affect in a Serious Game

Operation ARIES! is an Intelligent Tutoring System that is designed to teach scientific methodology in a game-like atmosphere. A fundamental goal of this serious game is to engage students during learning through natural language tutorial conversations. A tight integration of cognition, discourse, motivation, and affect is desired to meet this goal. Forty-six undergraduate students from two separate colleges in Southern California interacted with Operation ARIES! while intermittently answering survey questions that tap specific affective and metacognitive states related to the game-like and instructional qualities of Operation ARIES!. After performing a series of data mining explorations, we discovered two trends in the log files of cognitive-discourse events that predicted self-reported affective states. Students reporting positive affect tended to be more verbose during tutorial dialogues with the artificial agents. Conversely, students who reported negative emotions tended to produce lower quality conversational contributions with the agents. These findings support a valence-intensity theory of emotions and also the claim that cognitive-discourse features can predict emotional states over and above other game features embodied in ARIES.
Adaptive Responses to Demographic Fragility: Mitigating Stochastic Effects in Early Island Colonization

This paper advances the debate regarding the social relations of prehistoric islanders beyond the dichotomy of isolation vs connectivity by proposing a general and cross-cultural model of adaptive behavioral responses to stochastically-forced demographic fragility. I show that smaller populations—more likely earlier in the settlement histories of islands—are more exposed to localized extinction via stochastic processes. To alleviate this greater degree of exposure, maintaining social links that allow for genetic flow between otherwise isolated populations should increase overall fitness. Conversely, as discrete populations expand, the imperative for access to a widely distributed metapopulation, and hence the need to maintain these links, should decrease. This is illustrated via simple network analysis. Potential venues for testing this general model are outlined; wider implications for the archaeology of colonization, and for spatial modeling of social interaction, are briefly discussed.
Pharmacological Considerations of Antithrombotic Therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pharmacological considerations of antithrombtic therapy. The primary purpose of anticoagulant therapy is the prevention of thromboembolic phenomena without causing hemorrhage, and altered coagulability is a means to this end, and not an end in itself. Thrombosis need not occur the moment coagulability increases, and hemorrhage is not necessarily the immediate result of excessively reduced coagulability. An understanding of the physiologic disposition of antithrombotic agents is fundamental to the interpretation of the pattern of altered coagulability that they induce. Numerous factors contribute to the wide range of response to the administration of an anticoagulant: (1) the initial status of coagulability, (2) status of the mechanisms responsible for the formation and dissipation of clotting factors, (3) the physiologic disposition of the drug, (4) sensitivity of the clotting mechanisms involved to the drug, (5) presence of other chemical or physical agents that influence coagulability or the fate of the anticoagulant, and (6) status of the vascular bed.
Scarcity Message Effects on Consumption Behavior: Limited Edition Product Considerations

Recently, many luxury brands have begun to launch limited edition (LE) products. When this happens, advertisers implement two typical types of scarcity messages for LE products: limited-time scarcity (LTS) versus limited-quantity scarcity (LQS) messages (Cialdini, 2008). Prior research offered empirical evidence that these scarcity messages make consumers feel that LE products are more special, unique, and valuable, and thus, positively influence their evaluation of the product (Aggarwal, Jun, & Huh, 2011). The current study examined the differential effects of LTS and LQS messages on different types of LE products by focusing on consumers’ need for uniqueness.
Specific cerebrovascular localization of glutamate decar☐ylase activity

Abstract Glutamate decar☐ylase (GAD) activity and GABA levels, determined with a [ 3 H]muscimol radioreceptor assay, were found to be significantly higher in cerebral blood vessels from the piaarachnoid membrane as compared to extracranial vessels (aorta, mesenteric and femoral arteries, and vena cava). A cerebrovascular localization for GABA and GAD is consistent with earlier studies suggesting that an indigenous GABA system is involved in cerebral vascular function.
Impact of disease management on health care utilization: evidence from the "Florida: A Healthy State (FAHS)" Medicaid Program.

Objective. To examine the impact of disease management on utilization of selected health care services. Method. Prospective observational population-based study comparing Florida Medicaid patients who elected to participate in disease management (DM, N=15,275) with a usual-care (UC, N=32,034) group who elected not to participate in the program. Patients had at least one of four chronic diseases (diabetes, asthma, congestive heart failure, and hypertension) and all received standard health care. DM participants received supplementary telephone health counseling by a managed care specialist. The data for this paper were collected between October 2001 and October 2004. Results. Annual rates of inpatient hospital stays, inpatient days, emergency room (ER) visits, and outpatient (OP) visits, during and post intervention, were used as outcomes. Age, race, gender, comorbidities, severity indicators, geographic location and pre-intervention utilization were used as covariates. Compared to UC patients, DM patients had lower adjusted post intervention annualized rates of hospitalizations ranging from 0.07 to 0.38 stays, lower rates of hospital days ranging from 0.40 to 2.54 days, and lower rates of ER visits ranging from 0.10 to 0.91 visits per DM enrollee in all four chronic conditions. Most results were statistically significant at the 5% level, except for hypertension patients, where they were suggestive, though not significant. Conclusion. Disease management is effective in reducing potentially avoidable inpatient hospital stays and ER visits among patients with chronic illness.
IEA common study on advanced heat pump systems, technology survey. Part 1: Research and development trends

Abstract The paper summarizes the evaluation of heat pump research and development trends which was carried out as part of the International Energy Agency collaborative project organization in which 13 countries participated. The project and scope is described and the current trends in the development of heat pumps are analysed under the broad headings of sorption and compression systems.
Bed topography of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland, and Byrd Glacier, Antarctica

This paper presents the bed topography of Jakobshavn Isbrae, Greenland, and Byrd Glacier, Antarctica, derived from sounding these glaciers with high-sensitivity radars. To understand the processes causing the speed-up and retreat of outlet glaciers, and to enable the development of next- generation ice-sheet models, we need information on bed topography and basal conditions. To this end, we performed measurements with the progressively improved Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder/Imager (MCoRDS/I). We processed the data from each antenna-array element using synthetic aperture radar algorithms to improve radar sensitivity and reduce along-track surface clutter. We then applied array and image-processing algorithms to extract the weak bed echoes buried in off-vertical scatter (cross-track surface clutter). At Jakobshavn Isbrae, we observed 2.7 km thick ice � 30 km upstream of the calving front and � 850 m thick ice at the calving front. We also observed echoes from multiple interfaces near the bed. We applied the MUSIC algorithm to the data to derive the direction of arrival of the signals. This analysis revealed that clutter is dominated by the ice surface at Jakobshavn Isbrae. At Byrd Glacier, we found � 3.62 km thick ice, as well as a subglacial trench � 3.05 km below sea level. We used ice thickness information derived from radar data in conjunction with surface elevation data to generate bed maps for these two critical glaciers. The performance of current radars must be improved further by � 15 dB to fully sound the deepest part of Byrd Glacier. Unmanned aerial systems equipped with radars that can be flown over lines spaced as close as 5 m apart in the cross-track direction to synthesize a two-dimensional aperture would be ideal for collecting fine-resolution data over glaciers like Jakobshavn near their grounding lines.
XeF2 dry etching of W(100) induced binding energy shifts: An XPS study

Abstract The Xe 3d, F 1s and W 4f core level binding energy shifts have been investigated by XPS on W(100) as a function of XeF 2 coverage and adsorption temperature. It was found that exposure to 800 L of XeF 2 at 95 K induced binding energy shifts towards higher binding energy in the Xe 3d and the F 1s peaks (by up to 1.8eV), and towards lower binding energy in the W 4f peak (by up to 1 eV). Exposure at 125 K did not result in any binding energy shifts, and annealing of the 95 K exposed samples to 175 K resulted in relaxation of the initial shifts to zero. A simple model, based on the metal oxidation model of Mott and Cabrera, is proposed for the fluorination of the tungsten. The model suggests a build up of an electric field on the etched surface which affects the photoelectron energies and results in the observed binding energies shifts.
Bullies, aggressive victims, and victims: Are they distinct groups?

This study analyzed a sample representing six middle schools that included 206 pure bullies, 514 pure victims, and 206 aggressive victims. Aggressive or provocative victims are students who have been bullied but also bully other students. This research assessed whether aggressive victims engaged in different patterns of behavior and had dissimilar socialization experiences than pure bullies and pure victims. Factors that were considered include measures of parental socialization, family conflict, reactive and proactive aggression, low self-control, social bonds, and other relevant factors, including demographic characteristics. Logistic regression analyses indicated that aggressive victims engaged in significantly different patterns of behavior than pure victims and pure bullies. The analyses also indicated that the socialization experiences of middle school aggressive victims more closely resembled the socialization experiences of pure bullies than pure victims.
Peptide nucleic acids and prebiotic chemistry

Indentifing the first genetic molecule will provide the key to understanding the origin of life. RNA is an unlikely candidate but peptide nucleic acid looks promising in the role of primordial genetic material.
Irritable bowel syndrome : making sense of it all

Abstract Though the basic science of the irritable bowel syndrome is far from certain, and the clinical science is often confusing, it is still possible to make some sense of the syndrome in a clinical context. These common complaints of altered bowel patterns, pain and bloating are extremely common and vary greatly in the impact they have on persons’ lives. From ‘non-patients’ who do not present for medical care to those who seek referral to multiple specialists, the spectrum is well known. If sense is to be made, the physician must understand the patient’s major symptoms, how and to what degree they disturb their lifestyle, what is the patient’s knowledge about and understanding of the syndrome, what has been done before, and why the patient is now presenting. What are the expectations and potential frustrations anticipated with this present consultation? A positive diagnostic approach can be taken but care is necessary to assuage lingering fears of organic disease, to correct misconceptions of the syndrome, to settle existing frustrations of the patient, and to educate. With these approaches, managing irritable bowel syndrome can be rewarding, though demanding.
A novel deconvolution method for modeling UDP- N -acetyl- D -glucosamine biosynthetic pathways based on 13 C mass isotopologue profiles under non-steady-state conditions

Stable isotope tracing is a powerful technique for following the fate of individual atoms through metabolic pathways. Measuring isotopic enrichment in metabolites provides quantitative insights into the biosynthetic network and enables flux analysis as a function of external perturbations. NMR and mass spectrometry are the techniques of choice for global profiling of stable isotope labeling patterns in cellular metabolites. However, meaningful biochemical interpretation of the labeling data requires both quantitative analysis and complex modeling. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach that involved acquiring and modeling the timecourses of 13C isotopologue data for UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) synthesized from [U-13C]-glucose in human prostate cancer LnCaP-LN3 cells. UDP-GlcNAc is an activated building block for protein glycosylation, which is an important regulatory mechanism in the development of many prominent human diseases including cancer and diabetes. We utilized a stable isotope resolved metabolomics (SIRM) approach to determine the timecourse of 13C incorporation from [U-13C]-glucose into UDP-GlcNAc in LnCaP-LN3 cells. 13C Positional isotopomers and isotopologues of UDP-GlcNAc were determined by high resolution NMR and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry. A novel simulated annealing/genetic algorithm, called 'Genetic Algorithm for Isotopologues in Metabolic Systems' (GAIMS) was developed to find the optimal solutions to a set of simultaneous equations that represent the isotopologue compositions, which is a mixture of isotopomer species. The best model was selected based on information theory. The output comprises the timecourse of the individual labeled species, which was deconvoluted into labeled metabolic units, namely glucose, ribose, acetyl and uracil. The performance of the algorithm was demonstrated by validating the computed fractional 13C enrichment in these subunits against experimental data. The reproducibility and robustness of the deconvolution were verified by replicate experiments, extensive statistical analyses, and cross-validation against NMR data. This computational approach revealed the relative fluxes through the different biosynthetic pathways of UDP-GlcNAc, which comprises simultaneous sequential and parallel reactions, providing new insight into the regulation of UDP-GlcNAc levels and O-linked protein glycosylation. This is the first such analysis of UDP-GlcNAc dynamics, and the approach is generally applicable to other complex metabolites comprising distinct metabolic subunits, where sufficient numbers of isotopologues can be unambiguously resolved and accurately measured.
Efficient mapping and acceleration of AES on custom multi-core architectures

Multi-core processors can deliver significant performance benefits for multi-threaded software by adding processing power with minimal latency, given the proximity of the processors. Cryptographic applications are inherently complex and involve large computations. Most cryptographic operations can be translated into logical operations, shift operations, and table look-ups. In this paper we design a novel processor (called mu-core) with a reconfigurable Arithmetic Logic Unit, and design custom two-dimensional multi-core architectures on top of it to accelerate cryptographic kernels. We propose an efficient mapping of instructions from the multi-core grid to the individual processor cores and illustrate the performance of AES-128E algorithm over custom-sized grids. The model was developed using Simulink and the performance analysis suggests a positive trend towards development of large multi-core (or multi- µ-core) architectures to achieve high throughputs in cryptographic operations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ontogeny and Life History of Hemisarcoptes cooremani (Acari: Hemisarcoptidae)

The morphology of all developmental stages of Hemisarcoptes cooremani Thomas is described and figured. Predatory stages associated with diaspidid scale insects are described for the first time and correlated with the previously described deutonymph. The deutonymph, phoretic on coccinellid beetles of the genus Chilocorus , is redescribed and figured. Observations on behavior, host associations, and demography are given.
Identification of a cDNA encoding channel catfish interferon

Despite considerable advances in our understanding of teleost immunity, relatively few cytokine genes, including those for interferon (IFN), have been identified at the molecular level. In contrast, numerous studies have shown that following virus infection or exposure to double-stranded RNA, fish or fish cells produce a soluble factor that is functionally similar to mammalian IFN. A putative catfish (CF) IFN cDNA was identified by BLASTX screening of a catfish EST library generated from a mixed lymphocyte culture enriched for NK-like cells. Consistent with its designation as a putative cytokine cDNA, the 3' non-translated region contained multiple copies of an RNA instability motif. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of CF IFN showed low levels of identity/similarity to a panel of mammalian and avian IFN proteins, and markedly higher similarity to a recently identified zebrafish IFN. To determine if the identified cDNA encoded CF IFN, expression was monitored following infection of channel catfish ovary (CCO) cells with UV-inactivated catfish reovirus or exposure to double-stranded RNA, treatments which induce IFN or IFN-like activity in catfish and other species. In both cases, upregulation of putative CF IFN mRNA was detected. Moreover, upregulation of CF IFN mRNA was accompanied by the appearance of an antiviral factor in the culture medium. To confirm these results, recombinant CF IFN was synthesized in COS-7 cells and shown to have antiviral activity in CCO cells. Collectively, these results argue strongly that the identified catfish cDNA is an IFN homolog.
Higher degree total variation (HDTV) algorithms for biomedical inverse problems

We introduce novel generalized regularization functionals to overcome the practical problems associated with current total variation (TV) penalty. Specically, we extend the TV scheme to higher order derivatives to improve the representation of smoothly varying image regions. In addition, we introduce a rotation invariant anisotropic TV penalty to improve the regularity of the edge contours. The validation of the scheme demonstrates the signicantly improved performance of the proposed methods in the context of compressed sensing and denoising.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Primary Care: What You Need to Know

Purpose: We reviewed recent literature and treatment guidelines regarding the prevalence, pathophysiology, and management of BPO related to BPH; and management of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to BPH.Materials and Methods: Published literature and current treatment concepts were reviewed regarding the diagnosis and treatment options for BPO.Results: BPH is a histological diagnosis that can contribute to medical problems, including enlargement of the prostate and BPO. These conditions should be treated only if the symptoms are troublesome, there is considerable risk of progression, and/or cancer is suspected. Very effective medical and surgical options are available to treat BPO and improve patient quality of life.Conclusions: BPO is highly treatable, but should be managed in close collaboration with the patient. Pharmacological agents and minimally invasive procedures, when appropriate, are generally preferred to more invasive surgery. Patients with mild or moderate symptoms usually can be treate...
Chemical association of lead in auto shredder residue

Abstract The chemical distribution of lead in two samples of a unique solid waste stream, Auto Shredder Residue (ASR), is investigated employing a variety of chemical and physical analytical procedures. The results of the analysis suggest that the major source of lead contamination in this particular solid waste stream can be attributed to accumulated road dirt which contains particulate lead and amorphous lead oxide associated with the combustion of leaded gasoline. Although some lead oxides are detected as small paint chips associated with electro‐coated paint primers, used to provide corrosion resistance in automobiles, the actual quantities detected are small. The results of a sequential chemical extraction procedure indicate that the environmental mobility of the lead present in ASR is very sensitive to pH conditions. These results have important implications on the classification of the material as a “Hazardous”; or “Non Hazardous”; solid waste.
Speech Production and Speech With a Phrenic Nerve Pacer

A phrenic nerve pacer is a neural prosthesis used by some individuals with ventilatory insufficiency. This report provides a description of the phrenic nerve pacer and contains a case study of a yo...
Polarized distribution of α5 integrin in dendrites of hippocampal and cortical neurons

The distribution of immunoreactivity for the α5 subunit of the fibronectin receptor was evaluated in adult rat brain with particular interest in the cellular localization of immunostaining in the hippocampal formation and neocortex. Beyond localization to neuronal perikarya and short dendritic fragments within most brain areas, α5 immunoreactivity (-ir) was particularly dense within primary apical dendrites of pyramidal cells in both hippocampus and neocortex and within the dendritic arbors of cerebellar Purkinje cells. In hippocampal and cortical pyramidal cells, immunostaining was clearly polarized: α5-ir was not detectable in basal dendrites in hippocampal neurons and was limited to proximal arbors or absent from basal dendrites in pyramidal cells in superficial and deep layers of neocortex. Beyond this, α5-ir was distributed within the dendritic ramifications of the dentate gyrus granule cells and within perikarya and dendrites of occasional nonpyramidal neurons. Developmental studies demonstrated that, in both hippocampus and neocortex, α5-ir appears first within perikarya and is distributed to dendrites during the second postnatal week. These results are in accord with the broad hypothesis that integrins contribute to apical-basal differences in dendrites and that the integrin fibronectin (α5β1) receptor, in particular, contributes to some late developing features of dendritic structure or function. J. Comp. Neurol. 435:184–193, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chemical structure of a methane counterflow diffusion flame perturbed with the addition of either JP-8 or a jet fuel surrogate

The chemical structure of a methane counterflow diffusion flame doped with small amounts of either JP8 or a jet fuel surrogate was analyzed by gas sampling via quartz microprobes and subsequent GC/MS analysis. This jet-fuel initial oxidation is consistent with the anticipated chemical kinetic behavior, based on thermal decomposition of large alkanes to smaller and smaller fragments and the survival of ring-stabilized aromatics at higher temperatures. The surrogate captures the general trend but incorrectly mimics the behavior of some species such as benzene and ethylene. Furthermore, the comparison in the behavior of large alkanes is only qualitative, because of difficulties in separating the components of JP-8 as a result of isomerism.
Family and genetic studies of indices of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in Pima Indians.

BACKGROUND The present analyses were conducted to examine the extent to which insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion, assessed using simple indices derived from an oral glucose tolerance test, are influenced by genetic factors, and to assess whether these genetic factors overlap with those influencing susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Pima Indians. METHODS Indices calculated from fasting and 2-h post-load insulin (I(0), I(120)) and glucose (G(0), G(120)) concentrations included insulin sensitivity index [ISI(0)=10(4)/(I(0).G(0))] and corrected insulin response [CIR(120)=I(120)/[G(120).(G(120)-70 mg/dl)]]. Heritability (h(2)) was determined using variance components methods in 1421 non-diabetic individuals from 446 sibships. Among 595 individuals in 186 sibships, genome-wide quantitative trait linkage analyses of ISI(0) and CIR(120) were conducted and affected-sibling analyses of diabetic siblings stratified by prediabetic measurements of ISI(0) and CIR(120) were also performed. RESULTS Both ISI(0) (h(2)=0.37+/-0.06) and CIR(120) (h(2)=0.25+/-0.07) were moderately heritable. Modest evidence for linkage with CIR(120) (logarithm of odds (LOD)=1.6) was observed on chromosome 1q in a region previously shown to have linkage with young-onset diabetes in Pimas. When diabetic siblings were stratified by CIR(120), evidence for linkage in this region was strongest (LOD=1.5) among those with a low CIR(120). Additional regions with modest evidence for linkage with ISI(0) were observed on chromosomes 9p (LOD=2.0) and 14p (LOD=1.7). CONCLUSIONS The present analyses suggest that insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion are influenced by genetic factors in Pima Indians. The linkage analyses suggest that the putative diabetes-susceptibility gene on chromosome 1q affects insulin secretion. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Suppresses the Transcription of Its Guanylyl Cyclase-linked Receptor

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) treatment of rat aortic smooth muscle cells suppressed both 125I-ANP binding and ANP-dependent cGMP accumulation, suggesting reductions in the type C (NPR-C) and type A (NPR-A) natriuretic peptide receptor populations, respectively. NPR-A, but not NPR-C, mRNA levels were reduced in a dose-dependent fashion by ANP. The latter effect appeared to be due, at least in part, to suppression of NPR-A gene promoter activity. ANP effected a dose- and time-dependent reduction in a transiently transfected NPR-A luciferase reporter (-1575LUC). Analysis of 5' deletion mutants of the NPR-A promoter demonstrated that the ANP-dependent sequence lies between -1575 and -1290 relative to the transcription start site. Inhibition of the ANP promoter was also effected by brain natriuretic peptide, type C natriuretic peptide, and 8-bromo-cGMP, but not by the NPR-C-selective ligand cANF. In the case of 8-bromo-cGMP, the responsive element(s) was localized to the same 285-base pair region linked to the ANP effect above. These findings indicate that ANP autoregulates its own receptors in these cells and, at least in the case of NPR-A, it does so through suppression of receptor gene expression and receptor synthesis. This suppression may operate through a cGMP-dependent element located more than a kilobase upstream from the transcription start site.
Depleted 15N in hydrolysable-N of arctic soils and its implication for mycorrhizal fungi-plant interaction.

Uptake of nitrogen (N) via root-mycorrhizal associations accounts for a significant portion of total N supply to many vascular plants. Using stable isotope ratios (δ15N) and the mass balance among N pools of plants, fungal tissues, and soils, a number of efforts have been made in recent years to quantify the flux of N from mycorrhizal fungi to host plants. Current estimates of this flux for arctic tundra ecosystems rely on the untested assumption that the δ15N of labile organic N taken up by the fungi is approximately the same as the δ15N of bulk soil. We report here hydrolysable amino acids are more depleted in 15N relative to hydrolysable ammonium and amino sugars in arctic tundra soils near Toolik Lake, Alaska, USA. We demonstrate, using a case study, that recognizing the depletion in 15N for hydrolysable amino acids (δ15N = −5.6‰ on average) would alter recent estimates of N flux between mycorrhizal fungi and host plants in an arctic tundra ecosystem.
Accurate and Low-Overhead Process-Level Energy Estimation for Modern Hard Disk Drives

Measuring the energy consumed by modern secondary storage devices and attributing it to the causative application's processes can guide optimization of application energy efficiency. Prior work has focused on hard disk drive or file system energy management using custom-built measurement systems and models, but suffers from limitations that prohibit the attribution of the hardware energy consumption to the causative processes. This paper presents a novel process-level disk drive energy estimation system that monitors the operating system kernel to predict the storage power consumption created by individual processes of a software application. Evaluation reveals that the system is accurate with prediction errors around 7% even for workloads involving simultaneous file system operations from multiple processes. The system creates virtually no power consumption overhead in the CPU and about 4% overhead in the RAM module. Results using I/O benchmarks demonstrate that a large portion of the energy usage (up to 100% in some cases) in modern disk drives can occur after the causative processes have already completed execution. Hence, results obtained using power meters or direct energy measurement systems based solely on a benchmark's execution lifetime can drastically underestimate the benchmark application's storage energy demands.
Magnetic field induced far infrared transmission in bismuth

It has been demonstrated that high fields render the semimetal bismuth sufficiently transparent at far-infrared frequencies to study effects not previously seen in reflection experiments. The frequency interval 10–400 cm −1 was explored at fields up to 100 kG using Fourier transform spectroscopic techniques and 3 He-cooled bolometer detectors, and samples were cooled to liquid helium temperatures. Transmission was observed in all three principal crystal directions when the magnetic field was sufficiently large to drive one or more sets of electrons into the extreme quantum limit. The reduced absorptivity at these fields results from a large reduction in the relaxation rate. Efforts were concentrated on the geometry where the magnetic field and Poynting vectors were both parallel to the crystal bisectrix axis, and measurements at the highest fields indicated that the relaxation rate increases as the 1.4±0.1 power of the frequency and that ωτ ≈ 700 at 30 cm −1 . The temperature dependence of the relaxation rate continues to be quadratic at these fields. Three resonances were observed at the hole cyclotron resonance frequency ω c and at 2ω c and 3ω c , and they appear to arise from small departures of the hole Fermi surface from a perfect ellipsoid. Since these harmonics occur in the normal mode where the electric vector and the holes are rotating in opposite senses, they correspond to then=−1, −2, and −3 Fourier components of the motion in a labeling scheme where the cyclotron resonance itself is the much strongern=+1 component. Other resonances were seen, and one was identified as a magnetoplasma resonance.
Induction of follicular development and estrus in prepubertal gilts with gonadotropins

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) on follicular development in gilts. The gonadotropins were given via hourly i.v. infusions. In Experiment 1, gilts were given saline (n = 9), a pituitary extract (n = 6), or 7.5 (n = 4), 15 (n = 4), 30 (n = 4) or 60 (n = 5) ng LH kg−1 body weight (BW) hourly for 144 h, after which ovaries were examined by laparoscopy. The proportion of gilts given pituitary extract, or 30 or 60 ng LH kg−1 BW that had corpora lutea or follicles greater than 7 mm in diameter at the time of laparoscopic examination was significantly greater than the proportion of gilts treated with saline or lower amounts of LH. Hourly infusions of a pituitary extract and LH increased (P < 0.05) serum LH concentrations with each infusion, but did not change FSH concentrations around each infusion, or alter basal LH, FSH or estradiol concentrations. In Experiment 2, gilts were given saline (n = 4) or 15 ng LH kg−1BW and FSH at a rate of 1 (n = 5), 2 (n = 5) or 4 (n = 5) ng kg−1 BW. Four of five gilts given 15 ng LH and 4 ng FSH kg−1 BW exhibited estrus, whereas none of the other gilts showed estrus (P < 0.02). Administration of LH and FSH increased LH concentration within 10 min after each treatment, but did not influence concentrations of FSH after each treatment, or basal concentrations of LH, FSH or estradiol. The pattern of endocrine events observed in gilts exhibiting estrus was similar regardless of treatment or experiment and was similar to that observed previously in gilts undergoing follicular development. These results indicate that LH can stimulate follicular development, estrus and ovulation in prepubertal gilts if given hourly in sufficient quantities and that FSH acts synergistically with LH in causing follicular development when given in a pulsatile manner.
Most Frequently Used Alternative and Complementary Therapies and Activities by Participants in the AMCOA Study

This literature review examines the current state of the scientific evidence published in peer-reviewed journals indexed in MedLine for the 10 most commonly noted alternative activities reported by the first 1,016 eligible participants in the Alternative Medical Care Outcomes in AIDS study. The most frequently used activities are aerobic exercise (64%), prayer (56%), massage (54%), needle acupuncture (48%), meditation (46%), support groups (42%), visualization and imagery (34%), breathing exercises (33%), spiritual activities (33%), and other exercise (33%). Despite frequency of usage, clinical research is not reported on MedLine to support the use of most of these activities for HIV/AIDS. The limitations of using MedLine as the sole source for this review are discussed.
Can Cities Sustain Life in the Greenhouse

Data from the Global Environmental Monitoring System indicate that pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and total suspended particulate routinely appear in the lower atmosphere of major cities at concentrations well above health guidelines set by the World Health Organization. As well, cities are major contributors to the build-up of greenhouse gases which now threaten climate change. These findings underscore the detrimental relation that has evolved between urban industrial society and the atmosphere. If this peculiar civilization is to be changed, three principles—equity, sustainability and peaceful development—must guide the reevolution of urban life. The paradigm of commodification needs to be replaced with a model of a commons of life. The article provides a theoretical framework and strategy for reforming global climate policy and urban sustainability planning in a manner consistent with life in the commons.
ZPS: visualization of recent adaptive evolution of proteins

Background: Detection of adaptive amino acid changes in proteins under recent short-term selection is of great interest for researchers studying microevolutionary processes in microbial pathogens or any other biological species. However, independent occurrence of such point mutations within genetically diverse haplotypes makes it difficult to detect the selection footprint by using traditional molecular evolutionary analyses. The recently developed Zonal Phylogeny (ZP) has been shown to be a useful analytic tool for identifying the footprints of short-term positive selection. ZP separates protein-encoding genes into evolutionarily long-term (with silent diversity) and short-term (without silent diversity) categories, or zones, followed by statistical analysis to detect signs of positive selection in the short-term zone. However, successful broad application of ZP for analysis of large haplotype datasets requires automation of the relatively labor-intensive computational process. Results: Here we present Zonal Phylogeny Software (ZPS), an application that describes the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of synonymous (silent) and nonsynonymous (replacement) nature along branches of the DNA tree for any given protein-coding gene locus. Based on this information, ZPS separates the protein variant haplotypes with silent variability (Primary zone) from those that have recently evolved from the Primary zone variants by amino acid changes (External zone). Further comparative analysis of mutational hot-spot frequencies and haplotype diversity between the two zones allows determination of whether the External zone haplotypes emerged under positive selection. Conclusions: As a visualization tool, ZPS depicts the protein tree in a DNA tree, indicating the most parsimonious numbers of synonymous and non-synonymous changes along the branches of a maximum-likelihood based DNA tree, along with information on homoplasy, reversion and structural mutation hot-spots. Through zonal differentiation, ZPS allows detection of recent adaptive evolution via selection of advantageous structural mutations, even when the advantage conferred by such mutations is relatively short-term (as in the case of "source-sink" evolutionary dynamics, which may represent a major mode of virulence evolution in microbes).