cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacology Issues Related to Dementia Syndrome of Depression in Elderly Residents of Long-Term Care Settings

Pharmacological intervention for depressive symptoms in institutionalized elderly is higher than the population average. Among the patients on such medications are those with a puzzling mix of symptoms, diagnosed as “dementia syndrome of depression,” formerly termed “pseudodementia”. Cognitive-communicative changes, potentially due to medications, complicate the diagnosis even further. This discussion paper reviews the history of the terminology of “pseudodementia,” and examines the pharmacology given as treatment for depressive symptoms in the elderly population that can affect cognition and communication. Clinicians can reduce the risk of misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment by having an awareness of potential side effects, including decreased attention, memory, and reasoning capacities, particularly due to some anticholinergic medications. A team approach to care should include a cohesive effort directed at caution against over-medication, informed management of polypharmacology, enhancement of envi...
New evidence for inferoposterior myocardial infarction on surface potential maps.

Extensive body surface potential recording was performed in 22 patients 2 to 4 weeks after an acute inferoposterior myocardial infarction. Serial isometric projection maps were viewed millisecond by millisecond throughout ventricular excitation, and a second series of maps were examined after removal of the expected range of normal potential distribution. Three major findings outside the normal range appeared: (1) In 6 patients, an early zone of abnormal positivity developed in the left anterior chest at xiphoid level between 15 and 30 msec after onset of the QRS complex; (2) in 13 other patients, a large zone of positivity developed high on the left anterior chest (subclavicular region) between 30 and 60 msec after QRS onset; and (3) in 8 patients the long-lasting rim of negativity about the lower chest was strictly abnormal compared with the expected range. Thus, in 19 of 22 patients the potential map expression was outside the normal range, whereas only eight standard electrocardiograms revealed persistent Q waves with a duration greater than 30 msec. We believe the mid and late activation changes are related to ischemically induced alterations in the temporal sequence of ventricular excitation, not easily appreciated by conventional means of recording, but obvious with the departure map technique.
Application of a high-power diode laser (810 nm) for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: theoretical and experimental analysis

This paper examines the potential effectiveness of a high power, 810 nm diode laser in inducing thermal coagulation of prostatic tissue. A theoretical study is performed to compare the effectiveness of the diode laser with the currently used Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) for prostate coagulation. Transurethral diode laser irradiation in a canine model is also performed to examine the efficacy of inducing thermal coagulation in vivo. Model results show that comparable tissue effects can be obtained with both diode and Nd:YAG lasers. The in vivo results indicate that considerable amount of coagulation necrosis of prostatic tissue can be induced by the high power diode laser.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Role of Fibronectin in the Pathogenesis of Candidal Infections

Adherence of Candida albicans yeast cells to mammalian cells in vitro is promoted by a cell-surface adhesin that is probably a mannan or a mannoprotein. This observation is based on results of studies that utilized either lectins or antibodies to Candida that block attachment. Selective enzymatic degradation of cell wall constituents has been used to define the surface ligand of the candidal cell. Recently, nonadhering, spontaneous mutants of C albicans, from both yeast and mycelial forms, that lack specific mannoproteins have been described. In addition, such mutants are avirulent, an indication that attachment plays a role in the disease process. The mammalian receptor for Candida has not been identified, but in endocarditis it could be fibronectin, both because fibronectin is present at the endocardial lesion and because those Candida species that bind to fibronectin in vitro exhibit a high disease potential; i.e., Candida species that bind to fibronectin in vitro also cause endocarditis, while those that do not bind in vitro do not cause disease. Attachment of yeast cells both to human buccal and vaginal epithelial cells is reduced significantly if yeast cells are preincubated with fibronectin, a finding that indicates a possible role for fibronectin as the epithelial surface receptor for Candida.
Inhibition to excitation ratio regulates visual system responses and behavior in vivo

The balance of inhibitory to excitatory (I/E) synaptic inputs is thought to control information processing and behavioral output of the central nervous system. We sought to test the effects of the ...
A Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Sporadic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in The Southwestern United States

Abstract OBJECTIVE: We performed a case-control study to evaluate risk factors and possible modes of transmission for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with no history of blood transfusion or injection drug use. METHODS: Study subjects were selected from among patients seen in gastroenterology outpatient clinics at a university medical center in the southwestern United States. The study group consisted of 58 patients (12%) with chronic HCV infection who reported no history of transfusion or injection drug use, among a total of 477 patients evaluated for a positive HCV antibody test. These 58 patients were matched by age, ethnicity, and gender with 58 control patients diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux attending the same clinics. Patients and controls were subjected to structured interviews and review of medical records. RESULTS: A variety of variables were significantly associated with increased risk of sporadic HCV infection, including a history of tattoos, needlestick exposure, a history of sexually transmitted disease, intercourse with an injection drug user, five or more lifetime sexual partners, intercourse during menses (for women), lower income, and heavy alcohol intake (>60 g/day). Multivariate analysis identified a history of sexually transmitted disease, heavy alcohol intake, and the presence of a tattoo as independent risk factors for sporadic HCV. In addition, six cases and one control had a history of needlestick exposure. Of the cases, 88% had at least one of these four risk factors, as compared with 26% of controls (odds ratio = 16.5; 95% confidence interval = 4.0–68.8). CONCLUSIONS: A history of sexually transmitted disease, heavy alcohol intake, the presence of tattoos, and a history of needlestick exposure were identified as risk factors for sporadic hepatitis C in this case-control study. If we include all patients with a history of blood transfusion or injection drug use, only 2% of the total 477 HCV patients had no identified risk factors.
Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Study of the Unified Mechanism and Pathways for Gas-Carbon Reactions†

Ab Initio molecular orbital calculations are performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d)/HF/3-21G(d) calculation level on graphite and oxygen intermediates on and near the edges of graphite. The results are in agreement with experimental data for structural geometry parameters, vibrational frequencies, and, more importantly, bond energies. Three intermediates are studied: semiquinone, carbonyl, and an off-plane, epoxy oxygen. The rate-limiting step for all gasification reactions by oxygen-containing gases is the breakage of C−C bonds to free CO from the semiquinone intermediate. The energy for this C−C bond is near 80 kcal/mol, which is close to the experimental activation energy for the reactions with CO2 and H2O. The C−C bond is weakened by 33% by the adjacent epoxy oxygen, to a bond energy of nearly 53 kcal/mol. This extent of weakening in the C−C bond energy coincides with the decrease in the experimental activation energy from 85 kcal/mol for the reactions with CO2 and H2O to 58 kcal/mol for the reaction with O...
Synthesis and Biological Activity of Certain 4-Substituted Imidazo[4,5-d]Pyridazine Nucleosides

Abstract Purine analogues and derivatives exhibit a broad range of pharmacological activities and are used in the chemotherapy of cancer, parasitic and viral infections, and for the suppression of immune responses. Undoubtedly, this wide range of biological activities reflect an equally wide number of biochemical sites of action, one of which is the purine de novo pathway. New agents which can either serve as inhibitors of enzymes involved in this pathway or as substrates are continually sought. The unique series of nucleosides described herein should meet these desired needs. The synthesis of 1involved glycosylation of a suitably 4,5-disubstituted imidazole and subsequent cyclization of the imidazole nucleoside so formed to the imidazo[4,5-d]pyridazine nucleoside. Such methodology was successfully employed1,2 in the preparation of certain 4,7-disubstituted imidazo[4,5-d]pyridazine nucleosides. Chlorination of 1furnished 4-chloro-1-(2,3,5-tri-O-acetyl-β-D-ribo-furanosyl)imidazo[4,5-dlpyridazine (2) in 80%...
A 500 MHz Random Cycle, 1.5 ns Latency, SOI Embedded DRAM Macro Featuring a Three-Transistor Micro Sense Amplifier

As microprocessors enter the highly multi-core/multi-threaded era, higher density, lower latency embedded memory will be required to meet cache design needs. This paper describes a 500 MHz random cycle silicon on insulator (SOI) embedded DRAM macro which features a three-transistor micro sense amplifier, realizing significant performance gains over traditional array design methods. To address the realities of process integration, we describe the features and issues associated with integrating this DRAM into SOI technology, including deep trench processing and floating body effects. After a brief description of the macro architecture, details are provided on the three-transistor micro sense amplifier scheme, which is key to achieving a high transfer ratio with minimal area overhead. The paper concludes with hardware results and a summary.
Analysis of Sertoli cell-secreted proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

The �35 SI methionine-labeled proteins secreted from cultured Sertoli cells were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Major polypeptides which were resolved by this procedure were designated by number and further analyzed. Many of these major polypeptides appeared as a series of spots which corresponded to charge isomers. Two of these polypeptides (5 and 6) were shown to be acidic, glycosylated and to comprise the subunits of a dimeric protein of molecular weight 70,000. Some of the polypeptides (4a and 5a) were shown to be secreted from testicular peritubular cells which contaminated the Sertoli cell cultures. However, many of the polypeptides (1,2,3,4,5,5b and 6) were specifically secreted from the Sertoli cells. The fluorogram of the secreted polypeptides obtained from cultured Sertoli cells from 20- or 60-day-old rats were similar to each other but differed from the pattern of polypeptides which were secreted from cultures of Sertoli cells from 10-day-old rats. Polypeptide 3 was identified by immunoprecipitation as testicular transferrin and the synthesis of polypeptide 3 was stimulated when the Sertoli cells were cultured in the presence of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), insulin, testosterone and retinol.
Multilevel control of a dynamical systems using neural networks

The concepts related to multilevel control are investigated in the context of a greatly simplified hypothetical aircraft control problem. A general fault detection and control problem is considered. The problem deals with the case where a nonlinear plant is suitably parameterized and each of the different configurations contains an unknown parameter which lies in a compact interval. In this case, it is assumed that a nominal plant in each configuration can be identified off-line using neural networks. A stabilizing controller is assumed to exist for all the plants belonging to a configuration and was designed off-line using neural networks. The fault detection problem was carried out at the higher level by a neural network used as a pattern recognizer. The simulation results shown illustrate the operation of the entire system when a fault is assumed to occur. An adaptive controller was used online to compensate for the uncertainty in the parameters. >
Rapid GPS-based determination of earthquake displacement field and magnitude for tsunami propagation modeling and warning

Reliable tsunami early warning requires a rapid assessment of the tsunamigenic potential of an earthquake as well as a prediction of the likely propagation pattern of the tsunami. Low-latency availability of the coseismic Earth's surface displacements can support the assessment of the tsunamigenic potential of an earthquake and improve predictions of the propagation pattern of the tsunami. We have developed a fingerprint methodology for the rapid determination of the surface displacement field from GNSS-determined displacements. The fingerprint methodology depends on a priori knowledge of the faults potentially involved in a rupture. The known faults are parametrized with standard elements and for each element so-called fingerprint functions are computed for unit strike and dip slips. After an event, the model space of all reasonable fault-element combinations is searched for the element-slip combination best fitting the observed displacements. This combination provides the best estimate of the displacement field and earthquake magnitude consistent with observations. Here we describe the fingerprint methodology and the main architectural elements of a prototype for the rapid determination of magnitude and displacement field.
Coronary Microvasculopathy After Heart Transplantation A New Marker to Guide Future Trials

A unique form of coronary artery disease remains the major limitation to long-term survival in heart transplant recipients, playing a major role in the current half-life of the graft of ≈10 years. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of cardiac transplantation coronary artery disease (TCAD) has evolved from the initial paradigm that it was due entirely to the host immune response or an antigen-dependent process. This belief was based on observations such as circumferential involvement of the allograft vessels throughout their length, the limitation of this process to the allograft vascular bed, and its appearance in recipients of all ages, including adolescents. However, unlike with kidney transplantations, the expected correlation between the number of HLA antigens matched between donor and recipient and the number or severity of rejection episodes and the development of TCAD has not been very consistent.1 Article p 1274 This inconsistency led to examination of antigen-independent factors.2 An abundance of data now demonstrates that an equally significant number of antigen-independent factors contribute to the pathogenesis of TCAD. These include the damage to the conduit arteries (of all organs) by the large catecholamine surge that often accompanies brain death in the donor that results in not only contraction band necrosis in the myocardium but also severe injury to the intima and media of the conduit vessels.1 The importance of this catechol-mediated injury was subsequently confirmed in a large clinical series in which the presence of contraction band necrosis, the hallmark of catecholamine injury, on early routine endomyocardial biopsies was the …
The effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on the amount and depth distribution of plant water uptake in a California annual grassland

Soil moisture profiles can affect species composition and ecosystem processes, but the effects of increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO2]) on the vertical distribution of plant water uptake have not been studied. Because plant species composition affects soil moisture profiles, and is likely to shift under elevated [CO2], it is also important to test whether the indirect effects of [CO2] on soil water content may depend on species composition. We examined the effects of elevated [CO2] and species composition on soil moisture profiles in an annual grassland of California. We grew monocultures and a mixture of Avena barbata and Hemizonia congesta ‐ the dominant species of two phenological groups ‐ in microcosms exposed to ambient (� 370lmolmol � 1 ) and elevated (� 700lmolmol � 1 ) [CO2]. Both species increased intrinsic and yield-based water use efficiency under elevated [CO2], but soil moisture increased only in communities with A. barbata, the dominant early-season annual grass. In A. barbata monocultures, the [CO2] treatment did not affect the depth distribution of soil water loss. In contrast to communities with A. barbata, monocultures of H. congesta, a late-season annual forb, did not conserve water under elevated [CO2], reflecting the increased growth of these plants. In late spring, elevated [CO2] also increased the efficiency of deep roots in H. congesta monocultures. Under ambient [CO2], roots below 60cm accounted for 22% of total root biomass and were associated with 9% of total water loss, whereas in elevated [CO2], 16% of total belowground biomass was associated with 34% of total water loss. Both soil moisture and isotope data showed that H. congesta monocultures grown under elevated [CO2] began extracting water from deep soils 2 weeks earlier than plants in ambient [CO2].
TeraGrid Science Gateways and Their Impact on Science

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), TeraGrid is one of the world's largest distributed cyberinfrastructures for open scientific research. The project began in 2001 as the Distributed Tera-scale Facility, which linked computers, visualization systems, and data at four sites through a dedicated 40-gigabit optical network. Today TeraGrid includes 25 platforms at 11 sites and provides access to more than a petaflop of computing power and petabytes of storage. TeraGrid has three primary focus areas. Its deep goal is to support the most challenging computational science activities those that cannot be achieved without TeraGrid facilities. TeraGrid's wide mission is to broaden its user base. The project's open goal is to achieve compatibility with peer grids and information services that allow development of programmatic interfaces to TeraGrid. The Science Gateways program seeks to provide researchers with easy access to TeraGrid's high-performance computing resources. A look at four successful gateways illustrates the program's goals, challenges, and opportunities.
Visualization of three-dimensional microtubule structure

An animated visualization of the 3-D structure of a microtubule for an expensive structural analysis using state-of-the-art technology is reported. The use of a mathematical model for 3-D reconstruction and a hierarchical data structure provides a simple but concrete representation of a microtubule on 16-mm film and videotape. The modeling, motion control, and rendering of the 3-D image are discussed. >
Influence of Casing Roughness on the Aerodynamic Structure of Tip Vortices in an Axial Flow Turbine

The aerodynamic influence of casing surface roughness on over-tip-leakage flow was investigated in a large scale, rotating, axial turbine rig. Phase-locked measurements of the absolute total pressure in a cold flow turbine research facility were conducted at the turbine stage exit using a high-frequency-response total pressure probe. Time accurate measurements provided valuable aerodynamic information quantifying the near tip flow modifications imposed by artificially roughened casing inner surface. A partial segment of the turbine casing was roughened by using a roughness layer of two different mean roughness heights. A smooth wall as a baseline case was also investigated by attaching a smooth layer of equivalent thickness to the casing surface. Artificially roughening the casing surface significantly reduced the leakage mass flow rate and the momentum deficit in the core of the tip vortex. The reductions obtained in the tip vortex size and strength influenced the tip-side passage vortex and other typical core flow characteristics in the passage. The influence of casing roughness was studied in a range of tip clearance values.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Cystoid macular edema following secondary lens implantation.

Retrospective review of 224 cases of secondary lens implantation found an increased incidence of postoperative cystoid macular edema when lens implantation was performed within a year of cataract extraction. A positive postoperative fluorescein angiogram and intraoperative vitreous loss also correlated with increased rates of cystoid macular edema.
A psychophysical and electrophysiological analysis of salt taste in Trpv1 null mice.

Current evidence suggests salt taste transduction involves at least two mechanisms, one that is amiloride sensitive and appears to use apically located epithelial sodium channels relatively selecti...
Most probable number methodology for quantifying dilute concentrations and fluxes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in surface waters.

Aims: To better understand the transport and enumeration of dilute densities of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in agricultural watersheds, we developed a culturebased, five tube-multiple dilution most probable number (MPN) method. Methods and Results: The MPN method combined a filtration technique for large volumes of surface water with standard selective media, biochemical and immunological tests, and a TaqMan confirmation step. This method determined E. coli O157:H7 concentrations as low as 0AE1 MPN per litre, with a 95% confidence level of 0AE01–0AE7 MPN per litre. Escherichia coli O157:H7 densities ranged from not detectable to 9 MPN per litre for pond inflow, from not detectable to 0AE9 MPN per litre for pond outflow and from not detectable to 8AE3 MPN per litre for within pond. The MPN methodology was extended to mass flux determinations. Fluxes of E. coli O157:H7 ranged from 10 4 MPN per hour. Conclusion: This culture-based method can detect small numbers of viable ⁄ culturable E. coli O157:H7 in surface waters of watersheds containing animal agriculture and wildlife. Significance and Impact of the Study: This MPN method will improve our understanding of the transport and fate of E. coli O157:H7 in agricultural watersheds, and can be the basis of collections of environmental E. coli
Detection of Metabolic Disorders: Chromatographic Procedures and Interpretation of Results

A scheme for detection of metabolic disorders utilizing commercial dip tests, spot plate tests, and paper chromatographic tests is presented. Specific details are given for preparation and development of chromatograms for routine screening of urine specimens for disorders of amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Specialized tests for confirming positive findings in the screening procedures are described. The results are interpreted with regard to the variations encountered in testing normal infants and children, children hospitalized with a variety of diseases, and mentally retarded children. Examples of specific and generalized aminoacidurias are given.
Behavioral dynamics of steering, obstacle avoidance, and route selection.

The authors investigated the dynamics of steering and obstacle avoidance, with the aim of predicting routes through complex scenes. Participants walked in a virtual environment toward a goal (Experiment 1) and around an obstacle (Experiment 2) whose initial angle and distance varied. Goals and obstacles behave as attractors and repellers of heading, respectively, whose strengths depend on distance. The observed behavior was modeled as a dynamical system in which angular acceleration is a function of goal and obstacle angle and distance. By linearly combining terms for goals and obstacles, one could predict whether participants adopt a route to the left or right of an obstacle to reach a goal (Experiment 3). Route selection may emerge from on-line steering dynamics, making explicit path planning unnecessary.
Inhibition of eIF2α Dephosphorylation Maximizes Bortezomib Efficiency and Eliminates Quiescent Multiple Myeloma Cells Surviving Proteasome Inhibitor Therapy

The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade) effectively eradicates multiple myeloma (MM) cells, partly by activating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress apoptotic signaling. However, MM recurrences in bortezomib-treated patients are invariable. We have shown that ER stress signaling can also induce growth arrest and survival in cancer cells. Thus, we hypothesized that bortezomib therapy could induce quiescence and survival of residual MM cells, contributing to disease recurrence. Here, we report that in MM cells, proteasome inhibition with MG-132 or bortezomib results in a surviving cell fraction that enters a prolonged quiescent state (G0-G1 arrest). Mechanism analysis revealed that bortezomib-surviving quiescent cells attenuate eIF2α phosphorylation and induction of the ER stress proapoptotic gene GADD153. This occurs independently of the eIF2α upstream kinases PERK, GCN2, and PKR. In contrast, the prosurvival ER-chaperone BiP/Grp78 was persistently induced. The bortezomib-surviving quiescent fraction could be eradicated by a simultaneous or sequential combination therapy with salubrinal, an inhibitor of GADD34-PP1C phosphatase complex, and, in consequence, eIF2α dephosphorylation. This effect was mimicked by expression of a phosphorylated mimetic eIF2α-S51D mutant. Our data indicate that bortezomib can induce growth arrest in therapy-surviving MM cells and that attenuation of eIF2α phosphorylation contributes to this survival. Most importantly, this survival mechanism can be blocked by inhibiting eIF2α dephosphorylation. Thus, strategies that maintain eIF2α in a hyperphosphorylated state may be a novel therapeutic approach to maximize bortezomib-induced apoptosis and reduce residual disease and recurrences in this type of cancer. [Cancer Res 2009;69(4):1545–52]
Photodynamic therapy of experimental B-16 melanoma in mice with tumor-targeted 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphin-loaded PEG-PE micelles

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-diacyl lipid micelles have been prepared by loading with the hydrophobic meso-5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine (TPP) and used for the photodynamic treatment of B-16 melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The use of PEG-PE micelles allowed for a 150-fold increased the solubilization of TPP, compared with the native drug. The average size of the PEG-PE micelles was in the range of 10–12 nm with a narrow size distribution. At 50 μg/ml of TPP in micelles with an irradiation intensity of 4.5–21.5 mW/cm2, the viability of B-16 melanoma cells in vitro decreased in a fluence-dependent manner. A highly effective outcome of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with TPP-loaded PEG-PE micelles can be further increased by modifying such micelles with cancer-specific monoclonal antibody 2C5 to TPP-loaded micelles to tumor cells. TPP-containing 2C5-modified micelles provided the strongest phototoxic effect against B-16 cells in vitro compared with TPP-loaded plain micelles at the same TPP concentrat...
Characterization of photodamage induced by optical tweezers

Optical tweezers or optical traps are a unique tool capable of manipulating and controlling biological molecules in vitro and in vivo. A major drawback to using optical traps is the potential for damage produced by the trapping laser in the sample. Optical damage limits the exposure for any trapped specimen and has proved to be a significant problem for optical traps used in vivo. Despite these obvious problems, little work has been carried out to characterize or quantify damage produced in optical traps. This has been due, in part, to the unavailability of a convenient biological system to assess the damage. Here, the authors describe a novel biological assay employed in conjunction with an optical tweezers set up to systematically study damage produced in optical traps, The assay is based on tethering cells of Escherichia coli (strain KF952) to a glass coverslip by a single flagellar filament. Such cells rotate at speeds that are proportional to their transmembrane potential (protonmotive force), thus providing a direct and quantitative measure of their state of metabolic health. Tethered cells are held by the optical trap and periodically released to monitor their rotation frequency. The rotation rate is thereby established as a function of time in the trap. The ability to monitor continuously the metabolic health of the cell allows one to observe how the damage occurs as a function of time and to quantify this optical damage. This procedure is carried out for many wavelengths to establish the wavelength dependence of optical damage. The wavelength dependence shows a damage minimum at 830 nm, where cells live much longer than at 1064 nm, the later wavelength being most commonly used for optical traps.
Compression of VLSI test data by arithmetic coding

This work presents arithmetic coding and its application to data compression for VLSI testing. The use of arithmetic codes for compression results in a codeword whose length is close to the optimal value as predicted by entropy in information theory. Previous techniques (such as those based on Huffman or Golomb coding) result in optimal codes for test data sets in which the probability model of the symbols satisfies specific requirements. We show that Huffman and Golomb codes result in large differences between entropy bound and sustained compression. We present compression results of arithmetic coding for circuits through a practical integer implementation of arithmetic coding/decoding and analyze its deviation from the entropy bound as well. A software implementation approach is proposed and studied in detail using industrial embedded DSP cores.
Electronic excitation transport in disordered infinite volume systems

Abstract An account of recent theoretical and experimental advances in the field of excitation transport in disordered systems is presented. First the problem of excitation transport among chromophores (donors) randomly distributed in solution is discussed. Picosecond fluorescence mixing experiments demonstrate that the recent nonperturbative theory for this type of system is accurate at all times and concentrations examined. Next we consider systems with two types of chromophores, donors and traps, randomly distributed in solution. Experiments and theory describe the transport and trapping of excitations over the full range of donor and trap concentrations. These ideas and picosecond transient grating experiments are used to explain the mechanism for fluorescence quenching in concentrated dye solutions, which is shown to be due to excitation transport and trapping by dimers of dye molecules. Finally, the problems of excitation transfer among molecules randomly distributed on a lattice (rather than in a s...
Flecainide versus quinidine: Results of a multicenter trial

Abstract In this multicenter trial, the efficacy and safety of flecainide, a new antiarrhythmic agent, were compared with those of quinidine, a standard antiarrhythmic agent in the United States. A randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled design was used. Flecainide was more effective than quinidine (p
Effect of alignment on the penetration of segmented rods

The purpose of this investigation is to study the effect of alignment on the performance of segmented penetrators. The Eulerian wave propagation code CTH is used for this purpose. A series of calculations using four L/D = 1 tungsten alloy segment trains at varying degrees of misalignment is performed, impacting a single finite-thickness oblique armor steel plate. Obliquity angles of 30 ° and 60 ° were considered. This study was performed primarily to investigate the effects of obliquity and is a continuation of a previous study ll) where semi-infinite armor steel plates were examined. It is shown that the obliquity of the plate can have a significant influence on the performance of the segment train. When misalignment is minimal, the performance of the segment train is not adversely affected, particularly if the misalignment positions the train in an orientation aligned with the plate normal. However, for large misalignments, degradation to the performance of the segment train is significant at all orientations. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Morphology and proliferation during early feather development

Abstract The first back feathers of chicken embryos appear in regions where a dense dermis is present. The earliest recognizable stage of the individual feather involves a cluster of elongated epidermal cells which form slightly before or coincident with an early dermal condensation. Thymidine-H 3 incorporation and mitosis are virtually absent from the condensations and overlying epidermis for a period of about 24 hours after formation. DNA synthesis and mitosis commence again in both tissues as feather outgrowth begins. Quantitative studies of dermal cell density, and results of labeling with thymidine-H 3 , suggest that the condensations arise as a result of differential mitotic activity beneath the epidermal feather placodes. Cells in the condensations subsequently remain near the tip of the dermal core, while cells originally at the edge of the condensation, or in the surrounding dermis, make a major contribution of daughter cells to the basal and lateral parts of the dermal core. Recombination experiments indicate that both dermis and epidermis of skin separated at the nonproliferative phase of feather development have the capacity to form feathers in vitro when combined with more primitive back tissues. These and other observations are discussed in relation to the concept of induction in the feather.
Rapid Assessment of Benthic Faunal Responses to a Small Petroleum Spill in a Headwaters Stream

ABSTRACT On 9 May 2003, approximately 500 liters of home heating oil leaked from a point-source into Hemlock Creek, a high-quality trout stream in New York. Three days after the spill, we sampled aquatic insect communities along a 300 m gradient from an upstream reference site downstream through the potentially-contaminated reach to assess impacts on benthic fauna. Generic-level biotic indices reflected no significant variation corresponding to the spill, and insect community composition at various points along the stream gradient did not differ from that of a reference site. Our rapid assessment indicated that this small spill exerted no appreciable impacts on benthic fauna, and future spills may be monitored similarly, especially when investigative resources are limited.
Stem Cells: Classifications, Controversies, and Clinical Applications

The application of stem cells in regenerative and reparative therapies is emerging in surgery. Published information can lead to an over simplified view of stem cells with respect to their definitions, tissues of origin, abilities to differentiate into tissue lineages, and their capacity for functional tissue regeneration. The goals of this review article are to define embryonic and adult stem cells, compare differences between them, and summarize their potential clinical applications.
Intramolecular regulation of the opposing (p)ppGpp catalytic activities of Rel(Seq), the Rel/Spo enzyme from Streptococcus equisimilis.

Catalytic and regulatory domains of the Rel/Spo homolog of Streptococcus equisimilis affecting (p)ppGpp synthesis and degradation activities have been defined, and opposing activities of the purified protein and its fragments have been compared. Two major domains of the 739-residue RelSeq protein are defined by limited proteolytic digestion. In vitro assays of the purified N-terminal half-protein reveal synthesis of (p)ppGpp by an ATP-GTP 3′-pyrophosphotransferase as well as an ability to degrade (p)ppGpp by a Mn2+-dependent 3′-pyrophosphohydrolase. Removal of the C-terminal half-protein has reciprocal regulatory effects on the activities of the N-terminal half-protein. Compared to the full-length protein, deletion activates (p)ppGpp synthesis specific activity about 12-fold and simultaneously inhibits (p)ppGpp degradation specific activity about 150-fold to shift the balance of the two activities in favor of synthesis. Cellular (p)ppGpp accumulation behavior is consistent with these changes. The bifunctional N-terminal half-protein can be further dissected into overlapping monofunctional subdomains, since purified peptides display either degradation activity (residues 1 to 224) or synthetic activity (residues 79 to 385) in vitro. These assignments can also apply to RelA and SpoT. The ability of RelSeq to mediate (p)ppGpp accumulation during amino acid starvation in S. equisimilis is absent when the protein is expressed ectopically in Escherichia coli. Fusing the N-terminal half of RelSeq with the C-terminal domain of RelA creates a chimeric protein that restores the stringent response in E. coli by inhibiting unregulated degradation and restoring regulated synthetic activity. Reciprocal intramolecular regulation of the dual activities may be a general intrinsic feature of Rel/Spo homolog proteins.
Disparity in outcomes of surgical revascularization for limb salvage: race and gender are synergistic determinants of vein graft failure and limb loss.

Background— Vein bypass surgery is an effective therapy for atherosclerotic occlusive disease in the coronary and peripheral circulations; however, long-term results are limited by progressive attrition of graft patency. Failure of vein bypass grafts in patients with critical limb ischemia results in morbidity, limb loss, and additional resource use. Although technical factors are known to be critical to the success of surgical revascularization, patient-specific risk factors are not well defined. In particular, the relationship of race/ethnicity and gender to the outcomes of peripheral bypass surgery has been controversial. Methods and Results— We analyzed the Project of Ex Vivo Vein Graft Engineering via Transfection III (PREVENT III) randomized trial database, which included 1404 lower extremity vein graft operations performed exclusively for critical limb ischemia at 83 North American centers. Trial design included intensive ultrasound surveillance of the bypass graft and clinical follow-up to 1 year....
Comparative and developmental study of the immune system in Xenopus

Xenopus laevis is the model of choice for evolutionary, comparative, and developmental studies of immunity, and invaluable research tools including MHC-defined clones, inbred strains, cell lines, and monoclonal antibodies are available for these studies. Recent efforts to use Silurana (Xenopus) tropicalis for genetic analyses have led to the sequencing of the whole genome. Ongoing genome mapping and mutagenesis studies will provide a new dimension to the study of immunity. Here we review what is known about the immune system of X. laevis integrated with available genomic information from S. tropicalis. This review provides compelling evidence for the high degree of similarity and evolutionary conservation between Xenopus and mammalian immune systems. We propose to build a powerful and innovative comparative biomedical model based on modern genetic technologies that takes take advantage of X. laevis and S. tropicalis, as well as the whole Xenopus genus. Developmental Dynamics 238:1249–1270, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Impact of Process Parameters on EFRRPP

The ability to deliver controlled architecture copolymers from FRRPP in an emulsion form requires a working knowledge of the stabilization of emulsions containing several components through the choice of suitable surfactant package and emulsification conditions. This chapter describes work that was done to make complex emulsions that included polymer in oil-in-water dispersions that were ultimately modified to polymer-in-water emulsions, as well as the manipulation of preemulsified systems that provided stable final products. Some additional details are provided in Dar and Caneba (2002, 2004).
Accidents, alcohol and single-cause explanations. Lesions from the Grand Rapids study.

Although many investigations have demonstrated a positive relationship between traffic accidents and the alcohol level in the driver's blood, most have not considered the blood alcohol concentratio...
Error Analysis for Rectangular Finite Elements

The error data collected from more than 60 different solutions are presented here. Also presented herein are the development of a higher order rectangular element with a full second degree polynomial expansion for displacements along elements boundaries. The observed error analysis by the use of higher order rectangular elements is also presented here.
Latent tuberculous infection in the United States and Canada: who completes treatment and why?

OBJECTIVES To assess latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) treatment completion rates in a large prospective US/Canada multisite cohort and identify associated risk factors. METHODS This prospective cohort study assessed factors associated with LTBI treatment completion through interviews with persons who initiated treatment at 12 sites. Interviews were conducted at treatment initiation and completion/cessation. Participants received usual care according to each clinic's procedure. Multivariable models were constructed based on stepwise assessment of potential predictors and interactions. RESULTS Of 1515 participants initiating LTBI treatment, 1323 had information available on treatment completion; 617 (46.6%) completed treatment. Baseline predictors of completion included male sex, foreign birth, not thinking it would be a problem to take anti-tuberculosis medication, and having health insurance. Participants in stable housing who received monthly appointment reminders were more likely to complete treatment than those without stable housing or without monthly reminders. End-of-treatment predictors of non-completion included severe symptoms and the inconvenience of clinic/pharmacy schedules, barriers to care and changes of residence. Common reasons for treatment non-completion were patient concerns about tolerability/toxicity, appointment conflicts, low prioritization of TB, and forgetfulness. CONCLUSIONS Less than half of treatment initiators completed treatment in our multisite study. Addressing tangible issues such as not having health insurance, toxicity concerns, and clinic accessibility could help to improve treatment completion rates.
Integrated Circuits for Wavelength Division De-multiplexing in the Electrical Domain

We propose a new concept for a single-chip multi-channel WDM receiver which can scale toward Tbps operation. The receiver, consisting of a single photonic IC and a single electrical IC, multiplies data detection capacity by the number of electrical subcarrier channels. In a first demonstration, two BPSK-modulated wavelength channels have been successfully demodulated.
The ‘teflon basin’ myth: hydrology and hydrochemistry of a seasonally snow-covered catchment

Background: Snow and ice melt provide sensitive indicators of climate change and serve as the primary source of stream flow in alpine basins.Aims: We synthesise the results of hydrological and hydrochemical studies during the period 1995–2014, building on a long history of earlier work focused on snow and water on Niwot Ridge and the adjacent Green Lakes Valley (GLV), which is part of the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research site (NWT LTER).Methods: These studies are discussed in the context of how snow, snowmelt and runoff reflect changing local climate. We review recent results of snow, snowmelt, hydrology and hydrochemistry from the plot to the basin scale, utilising new tools such as continuous global positioning system (GPS) measurements of snow depth, along with remotely-sensed measurements of snow-covered area and melt, combined with long-term measurements of snow properties, discharge and solute and isotopic content of water.Results and Conclusions: Surface–groundwater interactions are import...
Learning Student and Content Embeddings for Personalized Lesson Sequence Recommendation

Students in online courses generate large amounts of data that can be used to personalize the learning process and improve quality of education. In this paper, we present the Latent Skill Embedding (LSE), a probabilistic model of students and educational content that can be used to recommend personalized sequences of lessons with the goal of helping students prepare for specific assessments. Akin to collaborative filtering for recommender systems, the algorithm does not require students or content to be described by features, but it learns a representation using access traces. We formulate this problem as a regularized maximum-likelihood embedding of students, lessons, and assessments from historical student-content interactions. Empirical findings on large-scale data from Knewton, an adaptive learning technology company, show that this approach predicts assessment results competitively with benchmark models and is able to discriminate between lesson sequences that lead to mastery and failure.
Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Injured Combat Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been associated with mortality after traumatic injury. However, there is a paucity of data for military service members with injuries received in combat. We sought to identify risk factors for AKI after combat trauma and evaluate whether AKI is a predictor of mortality. Study Design Retrospective observational study. Settings & Participants US service members who were critically wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan from February 1, 2002, to February 1, 2011, and survived until evacuation to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany. Predictors Demographic variables, vital signs, injury severity score, presence of burn injury, and mechanism of injury as defined at the time of initial injury, as well as the presence of AKI ascertained within the first 7 days using KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) serum creatinine criteria. Outcomes Logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for both AKI and death. Results Of 6,011 records, 3,807 were included for analysis after excluding patients with missing data. AKI occurred in 474 (12.5%) patients and 112 (2.9%) died. More patients with versus without AKI died (n=62 [13.1%] vs n=50 [1.5%]; P Limitations AKI diagnoses limited to creatinine-based definitions. Conclusions AKI predicted mortality in combat veterans injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
An Explanation for the Gender Gap in Perceptions of Discrimination among African Americans Considering the Role of Gender Bias in Measurement

Studies indicate that African American men report more personal experiences with discrimination than do African American women. According to the subordinate male target hypothesis, this gender diff...