cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On initial approximations for communalities

Guttman (1940) has proved that, for a correlation matrix R of order p, the squared multiple correlation (SMC) of each attribute, in turn, on the remaining p - 1 attributes represented in R, is the generally strongest lower bound for the associated communality. Kaiser (1990) has shown that Guttman's proof of this theorem makes assumptions so unrealistic as to render proof invalid in the Real World. However, the theorem appears numerically almost true in practice. Extensive numerical experience for many years and in many laboratories indicates that the SMCs are excellent initial approximations to the communalities in iterative factoring methods such as principal factor analysis, maximum likelihood or canonical factor analysis, and alpha factor analysis. In this note we suggest alternative initial approximations, the HSOs, described below, which appear usually to be more efficient than the SMCs and less cumbersome to use. For a given column J of R, let HSO(J) be the highest squared off-diagonal element in that column. From the elementary properties of multiple correlation it is evident that, for all J, but typically (particularly when p is large), this inequality is nearly an equality, i.e., the HSOs are only slightly less than the SMCs, suggesting that, given Guttman's theorem, the HSOs might be as efficient as the SMCs as initial aooroximations for the communalities. Our substantial . . numerical experience, with the above two initial approximations verifies this: starting either with the SMCs or the HSOs requires the same number of iterations for convergence to the communalities. But, in practice, it is always easier and almost always faster to determine the HSOs than the SMCs. That is, each of the HSOs may be found simply by one inspection and one multiplication, while the SMCs, for R nonsingular, requires finding R-' [from which SMC(JJ is one minus the reciprocal of the Jth diagonal of R-', for all n. But when R is singular, R-' does not exist. Then finding the SMCs, which do exist, is a problem of major difficulty, involving an eigenvalue-eigenvector decomposition of R (Tucker, Cooper, & Meredith, 1972).
Active Surveillance of Renal Masses in Elderly Patients

Purpose: We identify and report on a large number of patients treated with active surveillance for incidentally diagnosed renal masses at our institution.Materials and Methods: We identified all patients 75 years or older evaluated in our department for a renal mass between January 2000 and December 2006. A total of 110 patients with enhancing renal masses were initially treated with active surveillance and this group made up the cohort for our study. Medical records were reviewed for clinical and radiological followup, and vital status was obtained from the Social Security Death Index. Clinical and radiographic followup was available for review on 104 and 89 patients, respectively.Results: Patients had a median age of 81 years (range 76 to 95) with a median Charlson comorbidity index of 2 (range 0 to 7) at diagnosis. Patients had as many as 9 tumors being followed (median of 1) with a median tumor size of 2.5 cm (range 0.9 to 11.2). During a median followup of 24 months (range 1 to 90) mean tumor growth ...
Mechanical and magnetic properties of a new austenitic structural steel

Abstract A new high carbon austenitic structural steel having low total alloy content has been developed. This steel, after melting, casting and hot-rolling has a fully austenitic microstructure. The mechanical, magnetic and thermodynamic properties of this new steel were studied extensively. Consistent with the fully austenitic structure, this steel is non ferromagnetic. Initial studies on this new alloy indicate that this steel has good strength and ductility and high fracture toughness. Two interesting phase transformations were observed in this steel, one around 550 °C and another close to the Curie temperature of ferrite phase. A major application of this steel is expected to be in power generation devices such as turbines, generators, etc. There will be very little power loss in power generation devices due to the low permeability and the non-magnetic nature of austenite. This steel also could be potentially used at elevated temperatures (remaining below 550 °C) because of its potentially high creep resistance in this temperature range.
Carboplatin and cisplatin hypersensitivity - pattern, potential mechanism, and desensitization

Abstract Carboplatin and Cisplatin are powerful alkylating agents. We were consulted on 7 pt with ovarian cancer who had developed adverse reactions to Carboplatin. All 7 pt developed their reactions after having tolerated many previous courses. The spectrum of reactions included pruritus, urticaria, angioedema, flushing, nausea, diarrhea, hypertension, hypotension, and fever. Skin test with Cisplatin or Carboplatin were negative in 6/7 pt whose reactions occurred more than 1 year ago and was positive in the patient who had severe reaction within 2 months of testing. All 6 skin test-negative pt underwent successful desensitization/challenge of Cisplatin (4) or Carboplatin (2) under a continuous IV protocol of rapid escalating doses. 3/6 pt were maintained on a daily IV low dose protocol with excellent tolerance though all 3 developed Fanconi's syndrome. 2/6 pt tolerated subsequent infusions every 2-3 wks under an accelerated protocol. 1/6 pt developed urticaria, flushing, and abdominal discomfort on the accelerated protocol, completed the infusion with slowing down of the protocol and with additional antihistamines. A serum tryptase level drawn during the reaction was markedly elevated. Skin test to Carboplatin prior to the 3rd infusion showed a +ve conversion. She was successfully desensitized using the original slower protocol complicated by a mild urticarial reaction. Conclusion Hypersensitivity reactions may occur to Carboplatin/Cisplatin after prior sensitization, mediated by IgE and mast cell degranulation at least in some pt. Skin test is more likely to be positive if the reaction was recent and may be helpful prior to repeat desensitization/challenge.
Functional characterization of the G protein regulator RGS13.

The signaling cascades evoked by G protein-coupled receptors are a predominant mechanism of cellular communication. The regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) comprise a family of proteins that attenuate G protein-mediated signal transduction. Here we report the characterization of RGS13, the smallest member of the RGS family, which has been cloned from human lung. RGS13 has been found most abundantly in human tonsil, followed by thymus, lung, lymph node, and spleen. RGS13 is a GTPase-activating protein for Gαi and Gαo but not Gαs. RGS13 binds Gαq in the presence of aluminum magnesium fluoride, suggesting that it bears GTPase-activating protein activity toward Gαq. RGS13 blocks MAPK activity induced by Gαi- or Gαq-coupled receptors. RGS13 also attenuates GTPase-deficient Gαq (GαqQL) mediated cAMP response element activation but not transcription evoked by constitutively active Gα12 or Gα13. Surprisingly, RGS13 inhibits cAMP generation elicited by stimulation of the β2-adrenergic receptor. These data suggest that RGS13 may regulate Gαi-, Gαq-, and Gαs-coupled signaling cascades.
Retention and separation of adenosine and analogues by affinity chromatography with an aptamer stationary phase.

A biotinylated-DNA aptamer (molecular weight 16 600) that binds adenosine and related compounds in solution was immobilized by reaction with streptavidin, which had been covalently attached to porous chromatographic supports. The aptamer medium was packed into fused-silica capillaries (50−150-μm i.d.) to form affinity chromatography columns. Frontal chromatography analysis indicated that the dissociation constants (Kd) of cyclic-AMP, AMP, ATP, ADP, and adenosine were 138 ± 18, 58 ± 2, 38 ± 2, 28 ± 6 and 3 ± 1 μM, respectively, for aptamer immobilized on a controlled pore glass support. Similar values were obtained for aptamer immobilized on a polystyrene support except for a slightly higher Kd for adenosine. The Kd for adenosine is similar to the previously reported value of 6 ± 3 μM for adenosine−aptamer in solution indicating that immobilized aptamers can have affinity similar to that of the solution forms. Columns had 20 nmol of binding sites/100 μL of support media, which is 3.3-fold higher than that ...
The ToyScouts' immersive jukebox: University of Central Florida

The Immersive Jukebox offers users a choice of musical experiences exploring various influences of African American Blues music: traditional African music, spirituals, work songs, and others. Inspired by the curriculum of the International House of Blues Foundation (IHOBF)* Blues SchoolHouse program, it introduces students and teachers to the music, art and history of the blues and its cultural origins.
Alteration of the phosphocreatine energy shuttle components in diabetic rat heart.

Abstract Considering the important role of the phosphocreatine energy shuttle in contractile function of the heart we decided to study the different components of this shuttle in STZ-induced diabetic rat heart with a known diabetic related cardiomyopathy. Diabetes produced a gradual decline in total CK activity, reaching a maximum of 35–40% decrease after 4 weeks of diabetes, in both atria and ventricles. All of the CK isoenzymes including the mitochondrial CK (CKm) were reduced but to a different extent in these two tissues. The percentage reduction in diabetic ventricles was BB > MB > CKm > MM and in atria was CKm > BB > MB > MM. A major difference between atrium and ventricle was the greater loss of CKm in diabetic atria than diabetic ventricle (75% in atria vs 32% in ventricle). The B subunit seemed to be the one that was affected the most followed by CKm isoenzyme and then the M subunit. The bound myofibrillar CK isoenzyme, expressed as units of activity/mg of myofibrillar protein, was not affected by 4 weeks of diabetes. The high energy phosphates were also reduced in diabetic heart with a greater reduction in phosphocreatine (43–45%) and a smaller change in ATP (27%). Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation with α-ketoglutarate was reduced (55%) in diabetic heart, whereas, there was no difference when succinate was used as substrate. These changes were reversible by 4 weeks of insulin treatment. The loss of CKm, phosphocreatine and the reduction in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, could result in an inefficient phosphocreatine energy shuttle which could contribute to the cardiac functional defects associated with diabetes.
Left atrial-pulmonary artery wedge pressure relation: effect of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.

Abstract Numerous studies have confirmed the pulmonary artery wedge (PAW)-left atrial (LA) pressure relation in patients with a variety of cardiac and pulmonary diseases. 1,2 It has been assumed that as long as continuity of the fluid between the catheter tip in the PAW position and the LA is maintained, the PAW pressure will adequately reflect the LA pressure. However, the effect of the abnormal pulmonary vascular architecture, which is present in patients with chronically elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), on the PAW-LA pressure relation has not been well defined. Our study validates this relation in patients with abnormally elevated PVR.
B-Flow Imaging of the Hepatic Vasculature: Correlation with Color Doppler Sonography

OBJECTIVE. B-flow imaging is a non-Doppler technology that provides real-time imaging of blood flow during gray-scale sonography. The utility of B-flow imaging is reflected in numerous publications that describe normal and pathologic findings in the carotid arteries and hemodialysis fistulas. However, there is a paucity of articles describing B-flow imaging of the abdominopelvic viscera. The purpose of this article is to illustrate a spectrum of findings encountered during noninvasive flow evaluation of the hepatic vasculature, correlating the Doppler sonography and B-flow imaging findings.CONCLUSION. Color and spectral Doppler sonography are invaluable for noninvasive evaluation of the hepatic vasculature. However, a number of pitfalls and artifacts have been described that can cause important pathologic findings to be overlooked or can suggest incorrect diagnoses. In our experience, B-flow imaging often correctly displays normal and pathological vascular structures for which Doppler sonographic findings...
Dexamethasone-induced adhesion in hepatoma cells: the role of plasminogen activator

TRANSFORMED CELLS are frequently less adhesive than normal cells. This decrease in adhesion has been associated with the loss of specific cell surface proteins, changes in morphology, alterations in the underlying cytoskeleton and the increased activity of the serine protease, plasminogen activator1–3. Hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells exhibit increased levels of adhesion to glass4,5 and decreased plasminogen activator activity6,7 when incubated in the presence of the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone. Plasminogen activator converts plasminogen in serum to plasmin. It has been shown that plasmin causes the reversible dissociation of intracellular actin-containing cables in anchorage-dependent rat embryo cells8 and may also be partially responsible for decreased adhesion of Rous sarcoma virus-transformed chicken embryo fibroblasts3. Cell–substrate adhesion presumably requires specific cell surface glycoproteins and intact cytoskeletal elements9,10. It is possible that plasmin acts either to modify ‘adhesive’ proteins on the cell surface or to disrupt linkages between these surface components and the underlying cytoskeleton. We have used variant HTC cells selectively resistant to the dexamethasone inhibition of plasminogen activator6 to test the hypothesis that hormonal induction of cell adhesion is secondary to the inhibition of plasminogen activator which in turn allows the accumulation of the glycoproteins necessary for adhesion. We have modified cell adhesion assay techniques5,11 to provide a sensitive measure of cell–substrate adhesion for both wild-type and variant HTC cells in the presence and absence of serum and plasminogen. We report here that plasminogen activator does not have an important role in the hormonal regulation of HTC cell adhesiveness.
The effects of atmospheric compensation upon gaseous plume signatures

The usual first step in the processing of hyperspectral imagery is to remove the effects of the atmosphere. In the thermal region this usually involves accounting only for the upwelling radiance and the atmospheric transmission; the downwelling contribution being ignorable. This however can cause difficulties in the quantification of the gases if the atmosphere is improperly compensated for. Several algorithms exist for the compensation of the atmosphere including In-scene Atmospheric Compensation (ISAC) and Autonomous Atmospheric Correction (AAC). This study looks at which atmospheric compensation technique, if any, has the least negative impact on the gas signatures in the LWIR region (8-12 microns) using synthetic hyperspectral imagery created with the DIRSIG simulation. Two different metrics were used to this end: spectral angle and feature depth. Because the depth of the gas feature is directly related to the gas' concentration path length and temperature, it proved to be the more telling of the two. Results show that these atmospheric compensation routines have little effect in the strength of the gas features investigated here and, as such, atmospheric compensation may not be necessary.
Anatomical Evidence for a Counter-current Heat Exchanger in the Leatherback Turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea )

FRAIR et al.1 have recently given strong circumstantial evidence that leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) can maintain a deep body temperature at least 18° C higher than the ambient temperature of cold water. The mechanisms underlying this differential are largely unknown but are presumed to be muscular activity combined with the thermal inertia of a large body mass and an insulating layer of subepidermal fat1. Countercurrent flows have also been suspected as a heat retention mechanism1–2 but so far have not been proved. We now present anatomical evidence for a countercurrent heat exchanger in the front and rear flippers of a leatherback turtle, which is the first evidence for this kind of heat retention mechanism in a reptile.
Preparation of [ closo -CB 11 H 12 ] - by Dichlorocarbene Insertion Into [ nido -B 11 H 14 ] -

In strongly basic media, the [nido-B11H14]- anion reacts with the haloforms. Dehydrogenation to [closo-B11H11]2- is the only reaction observed with iodoform. With chloroform and bromoform, the cage is expanded by dihalocarbene insertion. The dominant products are the [closo-CB11H12]- and the [2-Br-closo-CB11H12]- anion, respectively. The chief side product is the [closo-B11H11]2- anion, which results from dehydrogenation of the starting material. It was identified by 11B NMR spectroscopy and isolated after acidic aqueous workup in the form of the [nido-7-OH-B11H13]- anion. Since the starting [nido-B11H14]- anion is available from NaBH4 and BF3·Et2O in 50% yield, its conversion to [closo-CB11H12]- with chloroform and base in a 40% yield represents a useful laboratory route to the numerous known but previously very expensive derivatives of [closo-CB11H12]-, highly prized for their very low nucleophilicity.
Concept Analysis of Decision Making

TOPIC.Client decision making in relation to health care. PURPOSE.To develop a conceptual analysis of client decision making regarding health care that represents the current state of the science in order to better understand how clients make decisions. SOURCES.Published literature. CONCLUSIONS.A model of client decision making is presented with implications for nursing. Defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of decision making are developed and illustrated by case presentations.
Intercropping carrot and sweetcorn in a multiple cropping system

Abstract Intercropping of carrots (Daucus carota L.) and sweetcorn (Zea mays L.) in a multiple cropping system effectively increased the combined yield of these vegetable crops. The best planting sequence was seeding sweetcorn first, followed by drilling of carrots 20 days later. Sweetcorn seeded on 26 May, followed by 3, 2 or 1 rows of carrots produced the highest yield and value per unit of land as evaluated by land equivalent ratio and gross monetary return. Intercropping did not significantly reduce soluble solids and dry foliage weight of the carrots, but the root fresh weight of some of the carrot intercrop treatments was reduced.
Hellmann-Feynman theorem, elastic moduli, and the Cauchy relations

The Hellmann-Feynman theorem is used to derive a formula for the harmonic elastic moduli of crystals in which every atom is at a center of symmetry in terms of the electron density and its distortion due to the crystal deformation. It is shown that these moduli satisfy the Cauchy relations if the electron density distribution deforms according to the same affine transformation which governs the crystal deformation.
The leucine-rich repeat: a versatile binding motif.

Leucine-rich repeats are short sequence motifs present in a number of proteins with diverse functions and cellular locations. All proteins containing these repeats are thought to be involved in protein-protein interactions. The crystal structure of ribonuclease inhibitor protein has revealed that leucine-rich repeats correspond to β-α structural units. These units are arranged so that they form a parallel β-sheet with one surface exposed to solvent, so that the protein acquires an unusual, non-globular shape. These two features may be responsible for the protein-binding functions of proteins containing leucine-rich repeats.
Lipid phosphatases in the regulation of T cell activation: living up to their PTEN‐tial

The initiating events associated with T activation in response to stimulation of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and costimulatory receptors, such as CD28, are intimately associated with the enzymatically catalyzed addition of phosphate not only to key tyrosine, threonine and serine residues in proteins but also to the D3 position of the myo-inositol ring of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns). This latter event is catalyzed by the lipid kinase phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). The consequent production of PtdIns(3,4)P2 and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 serves both to recruit signaling proteins to the plasma membrane and to induce activating conformational changes in proteins that contain specialized domains for the binding of these phospholipids. The TCR signaling proteins that are subject to regulation by PI3K include Akt, phospholipase Cgamma1 (PLCgamma1), protein kinase C zeta (PKC-zeta), Itk, Tec and Vav, all of which play critical roles in T cell activation. As is the case for phosphorylation of protein substrates, the phosphorylation of PtdIns is under dynamic regulation, with the D3 phosphate being subject to hydrolysis by the 3-phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10), thereby placing PTEN in direct opposition to PI3K. In this review we consider recent data concerning how PTEN may act in regulating the process of T cell activation.
Enhanced Dark CO2 Fixation by Preilluminated Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Anacystis nidulans

The products of short time photosynthesis and of enhanced dark 14 CO 2 fixation (illumination in helium prior to addition of 14 CO 2 in dark) by Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Anacystis nidulans were compared. Glycerate 3-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate, alanine, and aspartate accounted for the bulk of the 14 C assimilated during enhanced dark fixation while hexose and pentose phosphates accounted for the largest fraction of isotope assimilated during photosynthesis. During the enhanced dark fixation period, glycerate 3-phosphate is carboxyl labeled and glucose 6-phosphate is predominantly labeled in carbon atom 4 with lesser amounts in the upper half of the C 6 chain and traces in carbon atoms 5 and 6. Tracer spread throughout all the carbon atoms of photosynthetically synthesized glycerate 3-phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate. During the enhanced dark fixation period, there was a slow formation of sugar phosphates which subsequently continued at 5 times the initial rate long after the cessation of 14 CO 2 uptake. To explain the kinetics of changes in the labelling patterns and in the limited formation of the sugar phosphates during enhanced dark CO 2 fixation, the suggestion is made that most of the reductant mediating these effects did not have its origin in the preillumination phase. It is concluded that a complete photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle operates to a limited extent, if at all, in the dark period subsequent to preillumination.
Modeling the Tripartite Drug Efflux Pump Archetype: Structural and Functional Studies of the Macromolecular Constituents Reveal More Than Their Names Imply

It is a remarkable age in molecular biology when one can argue that our current understanding of a process is influenced as much by structural studies as it is by genetic and physiological manipulations. This statement is particularly poignant with membrane proteins for which structural knowledge has been long impeded by the inability to easily obtain crystal structures in a lipid matrix. Thus, several highresolution structures of the components comprising tripartite multidrug efflux pumps from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are now available and were received with much acclaim over ever-evolving crystal structures of soluble, aqueous proteins. These structures, in conjunction with functional mutagenesis studies, have provided insight into substrate capture and binding domains and redefined the potential interactions between individual pump constituents. However, correct assembly of the components is still a matter of debate as is the functional contribution of each to the translocation of drug substrates over long distances spanning the Gram-negative cell envelope.
Identification and purification of a cytosolic phosphotyrosyl protein phosphatase from bovine spleen

A protein tyrosine kinase with an apparent Mr of 60,000 was highly purified from bovine spleen and used to phosphorylate poly(Glu,Tyr) (4:1) on tyrosine residues for the study of phosphotyrosyl protein phosphatases from this tissue. About 70% of the phosphotyrosyl protein phosphatase activity in extracts of bovine spleen was adsorbed on DEAE-Sepharose. Chromatography of the eluted phosphotyrosyl protein phosphatases on phosphocellulose indicated the presence of at least two species, one that did not bind to the phosphocellulose and a second species that did bind and was eluted at about 0.5 m NaCl. The phosphatase that did not bind to phosphocellulose was further purified by successive chromatography on poly(l-lysine)-Sepharose, l-tyrosine-agarose, poly(Glu,Tyr)-Sepharose, and Sephacryl S-200. The enzyme had an apparent Mr of 50,000 as estimated by gel filtration and 52,000 as estimated by NaDodSO4-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The phosphatase exhibited a pH optimum of 6.5–7.0, was inhibited by Zn2+ and vanadate ions, and was stimulated by EDTA. Sodium fluoride and sodium pyrophosphate, inhibitors of phosphoseryl protein phosphatases, had no effect on the enzyme. Protein inhibitors of type 1 phosphoseryl/threonyl phosphatase were also ineffective.
Simultaneous Visual Discrimination In Asian Elephants

Two experiments explored the behavior of 20 Asian elephants (Elephas aximus) in simultaneous visual discrimination tasks. In Experiment 1, 7 Burmese logging elephants acquired a white+/black- discrimination, reaching criterion in a mean of 2.6 sessions and 117 discrete trials, whereas 4 elephants acquired a black+/white- discrimination in 5.3 sessions and 293 trials. One elephant failed to reach criterion in the white+/black- task in 9 sessions and 549 trials, and 2 elephants failed to reach criterion in the black+/white- task in 9 sessions and 452 trials. In Experiment 2, 3 elephants learned a large/small transposition problem, reaching criterion within a mean of 1.7 sessions and 58 trials. Four elephants failed to reach criterion in 4.8 sessions and 193 trials. Data from both the black/white and large/small discriminations showed a surprising age effect, suggesting that elephants beyond the age of 20 to 30 years either may be unable to acquire these visual discriminations or may require an inordinate number of trials to do so. Overall, our results cannot be readily reconciled with the widespread view that elephants possess exceptional intelligence.
T2 preparation method for measuring hyperemic myocardial O2 consumption: in vivo validation by positron emission tomography

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD) manifests as an imbalance between supply and demand of myocardial oxygen. Myocardial O2 consumption (MVO2) represents an important physiological index of CAD and can provide direct evidence of ischemic heart disease. MR blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) imaging has been employed as a noncontrast agent approach to determine myocardial oxygenation extraction fraction (OEF) during hyperemia (1), using a segmented multicontrast turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequence. MVO2 can then be determined by Fick’s law: MVO2 = OEF × MBF, where MBF is the microvascular myocardial blood flow. In the prior study, an imaging acquisition dark-blood turbo-spin-echo (DB-TSE) sequence was employed to measure myocardial T2 within a single breath-hold. By acquiring two T2 images with different echo spacing (t) at rest to calculate model parameters, hyperemic T2 can be used to calculate hyperemic OEF through the two-compartment model (1). However, previously each T2 was calculated using only three different TEs due to limited acquisition time. Because the saturation of blood signal using DB-TSE relies on steady electrocardiogram (ECG) triggering, arrhythmias that caused irregular ECG triggering often induced flow artifacts and deteriorated image quality of the T2 maps. Intrascan motion between the two T2 acquisitions at rest might have significant impact in the calculation of model parameters. These factors have contributed to the inaccuracy of OEF estimation (2). T2-prepared sequences (T2prep) have long been used to assess myocardial edema (3,4) and reveal the T2-weighted BOLD effect in hearts (5). The brightblood T2prep sequence is relatively less sensitive to the irregular ECG triggering in terms of flow artifacts. Because the T2prep method employs Hahn spin-echo or 3–4 180° pulses to achieve T2-weighting, relatively larger τ can be used in the T2prep. This may improve the sensitivity of the T2 method to oxygenation changes in the myocardial microvasculature, in which 90% of myocardial blood volume (MBV) resides in the capillaries (6). With fast gradient-echo acquisition, cardiac motion artifacts could be reduced and acquisition speed improved. The latter may help to increase the number of TEs with which to calculate myocardial T2. The aim of this study was to evaluate and validate a newly developed T2prep BOLD imaging sequence for the quantification of hyperemic myocardial MVO2 using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging as the gold standard method. The study was performed in a canine model with and without coronary artery stenosis.
Birth trauma: in the eye of the beholder.

→ Background: The reported prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth ranges from 1.5% to 6%. → Objective: To describe the meaning of women's birth trauma experiences. → Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was the qualitative research design used to investigate mothers' experiences of traumatic births. Women were recruited through the Internet, primarily through Trauma and Birth Stress (TABS), a charitable trust located in New Zealand. The purposive sample consisted of 40 mothers: 23 in New Zealand, 8 in the United States, 6 in Australia, and 3 in the United Kingdom. Each woman was asked to describe the experience of her traumatic birth and to send it over the Internet to the researcher. Colaizzi's method was used to analyze the 40 mothers'stories. → Results: Four themes emerged that described the essence of women's experiences of birth trauma: To care for me: Was that too much too ask? To communicate with me: Why was this neglected? To provide safe care: You betrayed my trust and I felt powerless, and The end justifies the means: At whose expense? At what price? → Conclusions: Birth trauma lies in the eye of the beholder. Mothers perceived that their traumatic births often were viewed as routine by clinicians.
MEDICIÓN DE NIVELES DE PARATHORMONA COMO PREDICTOR DE HIPOCALCEMIA SINTOMÁTICA EN EL POST-OPERATORIO PRECOZ DE TIROIDECTOMÍA TOTAL

Parathormone levels measurement as predictor of symptomatic hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy introduction: The most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy is hypocalcemia. It is difficult to predict it. The objective of this paper is determinate if measurement of parathormone 6 hours after total thyroidectomy can predict symptomatic hypocalcemia, and determinate associated factors in the develop- ment of this complication. Material and Method: Prospective case series. Patients that underwent total thyroidectomy between 2006 and 2008 in our Hospital. We registered epidemiological data, related surgery factors and measurement of parathormone 6 hours after surgery. Hypocalcemia symptoms were registered. We used statistical analysis considering significant p < 0.05. results: We included 82 patients. Median age was 53.2 years. 79.3% were female. The average of parathormone 6 hours after surgery was 28.7 pg/dL. Sensibility was 100%, specificity 79.4%, positive predictive value 59.4%, negative predictive value 100% and accuracy 84.1% to predict symptomatic hypocalcaemia. A statistical association among levels under the normal base line of parathormone and symptomatic hypocalcemia was detected (p < 0.0001). Relative risk was 4.84. Univariated analysis showed association between hypocalcemia and pre-operative thyroid cancer diagnosis (p = 0.01), cervical dissection (p = 0.03) and level of parathormone (p = 0.002). Multivariated analysis showed that only the level of parathormone associates with hypocalcemia (p = 0.002). conclusion: The measurement of parathormone allows identifying which patients are at risk of presenting symptomatic hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy.
A new electron linac injector design up to 200 MeV

A single mechanical structure can include the on-axis components necessary for best electron bunching and acceleration up to 200 MeV in S-band. Two accelerating sections are put in series which will then be seen from the RF source as one load. The sections see a backward traveling wave (BTW) at the 3 pi /4 mode. The electrical end of the first section includes the buncher. A slight frequency change induces beam radial control while at the same time keeping the energy spectrum narrow. The input/output parts near the mechanical center insure good conductance, easy focusing, and dilatation. Energy figures are given at 3 GHz and at 11.4 GHz without or with mechanical integration. >
Interventional Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography: State-of-the-Art

Interventional positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is becoming a "hot" topic at major interventional radiology meetings, particularly as it pertains to interventional oncology. The ability to target malignancies and other disease processes for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures using metabolic characteristics, rather than anatomic features only, is proving invaluable. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is a major PET radiopharmaceutical in use today, in part because of its lack of specificity. Many malignancies demonstrate FDG avidity, making FDG a widely applicable tracer. FDG can be used to distinguish regions of viable tumor from necrotic tissue and can even suggest regions of more aggressive tumor biology in some cases. Much of the excitement over interventional PET/CT, however, centers on the seemingly limitless possibilities of using novel PET tracers, existing and yet to be imagined, for the targeting of biological markers or disease processes in our patients. This review of interventional PET/CT focuses on practical considerations regarding equipment, patient preparation, radiation safety, image acquisition, intraprocedural image interpretation, and other topics important to successful performance of PET/CT-guided interventional radiology procedures.
Carrier-envelope phase stabilization using single-pulse coherent control in a semiconductor

We demonstrate carrier-envelope phase stabilization of a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser using the phase-dependent photocurrent that results from interfering single- and two-photon quantum pathways in low-temperature-grown gallium arsenide.
New Horizons in Catheter Ablation

Catheter ablation has evolved into the dominant therapeutic modality in the treatment of a variety of arrhythmias, particularly supraventricular arrhythmias with the mechanisms of atrioventricular (AV) nodal reentry and AV reciprocating tachycardia via an accessory pathway. The mode of catheter ablation used in the great majority of cases is radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation. This technology is well-suited for the above arrhythmias because the targets and the RF lesions are both small and discrete. Using temperature monitoring may improve the outcome of these procedures by decreasing procedure time and incidence of coagulum formation on the catheter after a sudden rise in electrical impedance. New RF catheter designs and new modalities of creating catheter-induced focal myocardial injury will allow operators to have improved success with the ablation of less approachable arrhythmias, including atrial flutter and reentrant ventricular tachycardia. Studies are currently underway to create a catheter based "maze" procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. As techniques and technologies evolve, a greater proportion of patients with symptomatic or threatening arrhythmias may be approached with catheter ablation as a curative or palliative procedure.
JERUSALEM IN THE MUSLIM CONSCIOUSNESS

L'A. fait remarquer que le statut actuel des lieux saints musulmans de Jerusalem est regi par les lois de la guerre a partir du moment ou c'est la seule loi qui garantit l'autonomie musulmane. Le combat pour le controle des lieux saints juifs et musulmans de la ville resulte d'une ignorance de l'heritage de coexistence et de tolerance. S'il faut retenir un seul aspect moral de l'histoire de Jerusalem, c'est sans doute celui qui veut que la ville apparaisse comme un symbole de l'unite de la tradition monotheiste. Le nationalisme ne peut avoir de place dans cette affaire
Evaluation of Coarse Aggregate Quality with respect to Current Specifications for Pavement Mixtures

In many states, coarse aggregate specifications for pavement mixtures are outdated and do not reflect the current level of knowledge concerning desirable aggregate properties for pavement applications. Because the performance of pavements is highly dependent on the quality of aggregate used within them, the quality of the aggregate must be evaluated based on the consistency of desirable aggregate properties. The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the compliance and consistency of coarse aggregate properties with respect to current specification requirements. To evaluate compliance and consistency, testing data from local sources in the state of Minnesota were compared to regional and national records on aggregate quality and specification requirements. Percent within limit calculations were conducted to evaluate the compliance of aggregate properties with respect to the current quality requirements of abrasion resistance, soundness, and percent spalling material. The results of the study demonstrated that aggregates complied very well with current specifications. However, when evaluating the variability of test results, inconsistency between different sources was noticeable even though quality requirements were easily met by tolerance criteria. This study emphasizes the inconsistency of aggregate properties among sources subjected to the same (or similar) specification requirements.
An efficient heuristic for estimating transportation network vulnerability

Estimating the criticality of each link in a transportation network is a crucial step for guiding the design and deployment of vulnerability reduction measures. Using exhaustive simulations based on user-equilibrium assignment to evaluate the effect of the failure of each link (or set of links) can be prohibitively time-consuming for reasonably-sized transportation networks. In this paper, we propose an alternative heuristic approach to the estimation the vulnerability of network links employing efficient graph-theoretical algorithms. In particular, our model estimates the cost of single link failure based on the increase in shortest path travel time taking into account the effect of congestion. Results show that the proposed method can reliably be used to estimate the relative effect of each link failure on the system travel time and rank links accordingly.
Decoherence of nuclear spin quantum memory in a quantum dot

Recently, an ensemble of nuclear spins in a quantum dot have been proposed as a long-lived quantum memory. A quantum state of an electron spin in the dot can be faithfully transfered into nuclear spins through controlled hyperfine coupling. Here we study the decoherence of this memory due to nuclear spin dipolar coupling and inhomogeneous hyperfine interaction during the storage period. We calculated the maximum fidelity of writing, storing, and reading operations. Our results show that nuclear spin dynamics can severely limit the performance of the proposed device for quantum information processing and storage based on nuclear spins.
Severe Hypomagnesemia Associated with Pentamidine Therapy

A case of severe hypomagnesemia in a patient with AIDS that manifested as changes in mental status is presented. The hypomagnesemia was due to renal wasting of magnesium, most probably caused by pentamidine-induced renal tubular injury. This entity has been reported once before and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of altered mental status in patients with AIDS.
Monitoring Forest Carbon Sequestration with Remote Sensing and Carbon Cycle Modeling

Sources and sinks of carbon associated with forests depend strongly on the management regime and spa- tial patterns in potential productivity. Satellite remote sensing can provide spatially explicit information on land cover, stand- age class, and harvesting. Carbon-cycle process models cou- pled to regional climate databases can provide information on potential rates of production and related rates of decomposi- tion. The integration of remote sensing and modeling thus produces spatially explicit information on carbon storage and flux. This integrated approach was employed to compare car- bon flux for the period 1992-1997 over two 165-km 2 areas in western Oregon. The Coast Range study area was predomi- nately private land managed for timber production, whereas the West Cascades study area was predominantly public land that was less productive but experienced little harvesting in the 1990s. In the Coast Range area, 17% of the land base was harvested between 1991 and 2000. Much of the area was in relatively young, productive-age classes that simula- tions indicate are a carbon sink. Mean annual harvest remov- als from the Coast Range were greater than mean annual net ecosystem production. On the West Cascades study area, a relatively small proportion ( 1%) of the land was harvested and the area as a whole was accumulating carbon. The spa- tially and temporally explicit nature of this approach permits identification of mechanisms underlying land base carbon flux. Forests are large reservoirs of carbon as well as po- tential carbon sinks and sources to the atmosphere. In temperate North America, forest carbon sinks are be- lieved to offset a significant proportion of carbon emis- sions associated with fossil fuel combustion (Bosquet and others 2000). In the United States, forest carbon sinks have been estimated to offset up to 24% of the fossil fuel source (USDA Forest Service 2001). Thus, the ability to monitor forest carbon sequestration is of great interest in relation to understanding the current status of the global carbon cycle and to meeting re- quirements in the United Nations Framework Conven- tion on Climate Change to quantify carbon sources and sinks associated with land use (UN FCCC 1992; Parson and others 1992). Analysis of forest inventory data provides a capability
Detecting the presence of an inhomogeneous region in a homogeneous background: taking advantages of the underlying geometry via manifolds

Detection of inhomogeneous regions in a homogeneous background (e.g. textures) is considered. The underlying assumption is that samples from the homogeneous background reside on an underlying manifold, while samples that intersect with the embedded object (i.e. the inhomogeneous region) are 'away' from this manifold. The empirical distance from each sample (which is specified in the paper) to the manifold is a quantity used to determine the likelihood of a sample's overlapping with an embedded object. This result can consequently be integrated with the 'significant runs algorithms', to predict the presence of embedded structures. A 'local projection' algorithm is designed to estimate the distances between samples and the manifold. Simulation results for features embedded in textural imageries show promise. This work can be extended to a formal theoretical framework for underlying feature detection. It is particularly suitable for textural images.
Differential utilization of blood meal amino acids in mosquitoes

Amino acids in the mosquito blood meal have two forms, protein-bound and plasma-free amino acids. To determine if the metabolic fate and flux of these two forms of blood meal amino acids are distinct, we fed mosquitoes eight ( 14 C)-labeled amino acids, seven of which are essential for mosquitoes (leucine, valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, lysine, arginine, histidine), and one that can be readily converted to metabolic fuel (alanine). These 14 C tracer amino acids were either incorporated into an in vitro synthesized protein (protein-bound) and fed with blood to mosquitoes, or fed individually (free) with blood. In both forms, leucine had the highest relative flux with regard to synthesizing mosquito body lipid reserves, whereas histidine and arginine were the most highly excreted. We also found that protein-bound phe- nylalanine was incorporated at the highest rate into egg proteins, while plasma-free isoleucine was readily incorporated into egg proteins. Considering that plasma-free amino acids are rapidly absorbed and metabolized within the first eight hours post-blood meal, it is likely that the differ - ence in egg protein incorporation reflects differential utilization of plasma-free isoleucine and phenylalanine. In order to determine if the metabolic fate of plasma-free isoleucine is affected by the origin of host blood or the number of gonotrophic cycles, we supplemented porcine and human blood with ( 14 C)-isoleucine in the absence or presence of 200 µM unlabeled isoleucine. Our data show that host blood does not affect isoleucine incorporation into protein, and that plasma-free isoleucine incorporated into maternal proteins during the first gonotrophic cycle functions as an isoleucine reservoir for the second gonotrophic cycle.
Deep reflection-mode photoacoustic imaging and resolution scalability with depth

A deep reflection-mode photoacoustic (PA) imaging system was designed and implemented to visualize deep structures in biological tissues. To achieve good penetration depth, we chose near IR laser pulses at 804 nm wavelength for the generation of photoacoustic waves. To avoid overshadowing the deep PA signals by the surface PA signals, we employed dark-field illumination. To achieve good lateral resolution, we chose spherically focused high-numerical-aperture ultrasonic transducers with 5 MHz or 10 MHz center frequencies. By using these transducers, we achieved 153 μm and 130 μm axial resolutions, respectively, at 19.5 mm depth in 10% porcine gelatin containing 1% intralipid. The system was applied to imaging internal organs of small animals. Compared with our previous high-frequency (50-MHz) photoacoustic microscope, we scaled up the imaging depth while maintaining the ratio of the imaging depth to axial resolution more than 100. In addition, we studied the scalability of the imaging depth and the resolution with ultrasound frequency.
Monitoring Network Traffic to Detect Stepping-Stone Intrusion

Most network intruders tend to use stepping-stones to attack or to invade other hosts to reduce the risks of being discovered. There have been many approaches that were proposed to detect stepping-stone since 1995. One of those approaches proposed by A. Blum detects stepping-stone by checking if the difference between the number of the send packets of an incoming connection and the one of an outgoing connection is bounded. One weakness of this method is in resisting intruders' evasion, such as chaff perturbation. In this paper, we propose a method based on random walk theory to detect stepping-stone intrusion. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed method is more effective than Blum's approach in terms of resisting intruders' chaff perturbation.
An efficient VLSI implementation for the 1D convolutional discrete wavelet transform

This paper presents an efficient implementation of a convolution-based 1D discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The proposed architecture combines several optimizations that improve the performance of the hardware design in terms of throughput and power dissipation. We designed and analyzed the performance of numerous DWT architectures using pertinent metrics and cost functions that assess the impact of the design optimizations. We synthesized our VLSI architectures using a 0.18 mu standard cell library. The final VLSI design combines polyphase decimated FIR filters to reduce power dissipation, pipelined computational cells for higher throughput, and data-interleaving for lower chip area. An analytical comparison with other existing DWT implementations illustrates a two fold improvement in throughput for the proposed architecture.