cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The aortic translocation (Nikaidoh) procedure: Midterm results superior to the Rastelli procedure

Objective Midterm follow-up is analyzed after the aortic translocation (Nikaidoh) procedure, an alternative to the Rastelli procedure for ventriculoarterial discordance, ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary stenosis. Methods Nineteen patients underwent a Nikaidoh procedure at a median age of 3.3 years (0.9-9.3 years). The native aortic valve was translocated from the right to the left ventricular outflow tract by full (n = 6) or partial (n = 13) mobilization of the aortic root. Seven patients with partial mobilization had the right coronary artery reimplanted as a button. The conal septum was divided in 13 patients. The right ventricular outflow tract was reconstructed with either a homograft (n = 4) or a right ventricular outflow tract patch (n = 15). The median follow-up was 11.4 years (0.1-23 years), and the median age at follow-up was 17.4 years (1-30 years). Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and aortic insufficiency were assessed by echocardiography. Results One patient died of right coronary arterial ischemia. All remaining patients (95%) survived. The median survival was 13.6 years (longest, 23.0 years). Seven right ventricular outflow tract reoperations were required in 5 patients (6 with obstruction and 1 with pulmonary insufficiency). No reoperations have been performed on the left ventricular outflow tract or aortic valve. No patient had any left ventricular outflow tract obstruction or aortic insufficiency more than mild (mild in 9 patients, trivial in 3 patients, and absent in 6 patients). Conclusions Midterm actuarial survival was 95% after the Nikaidoh procedure. Reintervention for the right ventricular outflow tract is more common when valved conduits are used versus valveless reconstruction; however, the Nikaidoh procedure provides complete freedom from important aortic insufficiency and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
Normalization of cortical bone density in children and adolescents with hyperthyroidism treated with antithyroid medication.

We assessed bone size and bone density (BD) measurements using computed tomography (CT) in children and adolescents with hyperthyroidism treated with antithyroid medication. We found that cortical BD appeared to improve at 1 year and normalize at 2 years in all tested patients. Our previous study demonstrated that cortical BD in children and adolescents with untreated hyperthyroidism was significantly decreased as compared to age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched healthy controls. The present report evaluated whether attainment of euthyroidism by medical antithyroid treatment was able to improve or normalize cortical BD in these patients. Anthropometrics and three-dimensional CT bone measurements including cross-sectional area (CSA), cortical bone area (CBA) and cortical BD at midshaft of the femur (cortical bone), and CSA and BD of L1 to L3 vertebrae (cancellous bone) in 15 children and adolescents after 1- and 2-year treatments with antithyroid medication were reviewed and compared to their pretreatment results. All patients were euthyroid at 1 and 2 years after medical antithyroid treatment. After adjusting for age, height, weight and Tanner stage, a significant increase in cortical BD in all patients (15/15) was found after 1 year of treatment (P < 0.001). Normalization of cortical BD was demonstrated in all tested patients (10/15) after 2 years. There were no significant changes in the other cancellous or cortical bone parameters. Cortical BD was improved at 1 year and normalized at 2 years in hyperthyroid patients rendered euthyroid with antithyroid medication.
The demographic meanings of the classical population growth models of ecology

Ecological populations consist of individual organisms that experience birth, growth in body size during at leat part of the lifespan, and finally death. These basic facts have inspired the development of much demographic theory during the last 75 years. Keytitz (1968), Pollard (1973), Charlesworth (1980), and Nisbet and Gurney (1982) review much of the classical theoretical treatment originally devised by Sharpe and Lotka (1911), McKendrick (1926), Leslie (1945, 1948), von Foerster (1959), Lelkovitch (1965), Sinko and Streifer (1967), and others. Assorted refinements have been provided by Weiss (1968), VanSickle (1977), Van Straalen (1982), Law (1983), Hughes (1984), and Kirkpatrick 1984). The major results of this work have proven sufficiently broadly useful in field ecological studies that they appear routinely in introductory ecology textbooks. The strength of this theory is its relatively detailed description of numerical changes in the kinds of organisms (with individuals classified by age, size, and possibly other characteristics) that comprise a population and how organisms of each kind contribute to further population changes through births, deaths, and transitions from one kind to another. This detailed accounting has provided the foundation for Caswell’s (1982a-d
The effect of hydration state and energy balance on innate immunity of a desert reptile

Introduction: Immune function is a vital physiological process that is often suppressed during times of resource scarcity due to investments in other physiological systems. While energy is the typical currency that has been examined in such trade-offs, limitations of other resources may similarly lead to trade-offs that affect immune function. Specifically, water is a critical resource with profound implications for organismal ecology, yet its availability can fluctuate at local, regional, and even global levels. Despite this, the effect of osmotic state on immune function has received little attention. Results: Using agglutination and lysis assays as measures of an organism’s plasma concentration of natural antibodies and capacity for foreign cell destruction, respectively, we tested the independent effects of osmotic state, digestive state, and energy balance on innate immune function in free-ranging and laboratory populations of the Gila monster, Heloderma suspectum. This desert-dwelling lizard experiences dehydration and energy resource fluctuations on a seasonal basis. Dehydration was expected to decrease innate immune function, yet we found that dehydration increased lysis and agglutination abilities in both lab and field studies, a relationship that was not simply an effect of an increased concentration of immune molecules. Laboratory-based differences in digestive state were not associated with lysis or agglutination metrics, although in our field population, a loss of fat stores was correlated with an increase in lysis.
Visual novelty preference as a measure of recognition memory in moderately, severely, and profoundly retarded persons

Abstract A novelty preference method was used to examine memory processes in profoundly, severely, and moderately retarded persons. After viewing a photograph of a face for 30 seconds, subjects were shown the study face and a new one after intervals ranging up to 3 minutes. Data were obtained from 30 of 56 subjects with this method. Of the 30 subjects, 20 showed significant preference for looking at the new face in the test. Recognition memory as indexed by novel looking declined over the retention interval. Memory was stronger but decayed more rapidly for higher memorable (distinctive) faces. With refinement, the novelty preference method holds promise for the study of cognitive processes in nonverbal persons. But, since memory is being inferred from response preferences which reflect an induced motivational state, satiation, the relationship between this state and memory must be established.
Colony life history and lifetime reproductive success of red harvester ant colonies.

Summary 1. We estimate colony reproductive success, in numbers of offspring colonies arising from a colony’s daughter queens, of colonies of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. 2. A measure of lifetime reproductive success is essential to understand the relation of ecological factors, phenotype and fitness in a natural population. This was possible for the first time in a natural population of ant colonies using data from long-term study of a population of colonies in south-eastern Arizona, for which ages of all colonies are known from census data collected since 1985. 3. Parentage analyses of microsatellite data from 5 highly polymorphic loci were used to assign offspring colonies to maternal parent colonies in a population of about 265 colonies, ages 1–28 years, sampled in 2010. 4. The estimated population growth rate Ro was 1� 69 and generation time was 7� 8 years. There was considerable variation among colonies in reproductive success: of 199 possible parent colonies, only 49 (~ 25%) had offspring colonies on the site. The mean number of offspring colonies per maternal parent colony was 2� 94 and ranged from 1 to 8. A parent was identified for the queen of 146 of 247 offspring colonies. There was no evidence for reproductive senescence; fecundity was about the same throughout the 25–30 year lifespan of a colony. 5. There were no trends in the distance or direction of the dispersal of an offspring relative to its maternal parent colony. There was no relationship between the number of gynes produced by a colony in 1 year and the number of offspring colonies subsequently founded by its daughter reproductive females. 6. The results provide the first estimate of a life table for a population of ant colonies and the first estimate of the female component of colony lifetime reproductive success. The results suggest that commonly used measures of reproductive output may not be correlated with realized reproductive success. This is the starting point for future investigation asking whether variation in reproductive success is related to phenotypic variation among colonies in behavioural and ecological traits.
Direct numerical simulations of NOx effect on multistage autoignition of DME/air mixture in the negative temperature coefficient regime for stratified HCCI engine conditions

Abstract Direct numerical simulations (DNSs), for a stratified flow in HCCI engine-like conditions, are performed to investigate the effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) by NO x and temperature/mixture stratification on autoignition of dimethyl ether (DME) in the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) region. Detailed chemistry for a DME/air mixture with NO x addition is employed and solved by a hybrid multi-time scale (HMTS) algorithm. Three ignition stages are observed. The results show that adding (1000 ppm) NO enhances both low and intermediate temperature ignition delay times by the rapid OH radical pool formation (one to two orders of magnitude higher OH radicals concentrations are observed). In addition, NO from EGR was found to change the heat release rates differently at each ignition stage, where it mainly increases the low temperature ignition heat release rate with minimal effect on the ignition heat release rates at the second and third ignition stages. Sensitivity analysis is performed and the important reactions pathways for low temperature chemistry and ignition enhancement by NO addition are specified. The DNSs for stratified turbulent ignition show that the scales introduced by the mixture and thermal stratifications have a stronger effect on the second and third stage ignitions. Compared to homogenous ignition, stratified ignition shows a similar first autoignition delay time, but about 19% reduction in the second and third ignition delay times. Stratification, however, results in a lower averaged LTC ignition heat release rate and a higher averaged hot ignition heat release rate compared to homogenous ignition. The results also show that molecular transport plays an important role in stratified low temperature ignition, and that the scalar mixing time scale is strongly affected by local ignition. Two ignition-kernel propagation modes are observed: a wave-like, low-speed, deflagrative mode (the D-mode) and a spontaneous, high-speed, kinetically driven ignition mode (the S-mode). Three criteria are introduced to distinguish the two modes by different characteristic time scales and Damkholer (Da) number using a progress variable conditioned by a proper ignition kernel indicator (IKI). The results show that the spontaneous ignition S-mode is characterized by low scalar dissipation rate, high displacement speed flame front, and high mixing Damkholer number, while the D-mode is characterized by high scalar dissipation rate, low displacement speeds in the order of the laminar flame speed and a lower than unity Da number. The proposed criteria are applied at the different ignition stages.
The differential use of Spanish and Portuguese along the Uruguayan–Brazilian border

Abstract Since the late 1800s, the Uruguayan Government has attempted to enforce cultural and linguistic norms along the border with Brazil through the prohibition of Portuguese, especially in schools, despite the fact that this is the heritage language of most border residents. This research focuses on the differential use of Spanish and Portuguese in Rivera, the largest city on the border. Using self-reported data and metalinguistic commentaries extracted from interviews with 63 Spanish–Portuguese bilinguals, the use of both languages in various domains (home, school, work spaces) and with diverse interlocutors (family, friends, co-workers, superiors) is analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative analysis reveals that Portuguese, which has been marginalized for decades, is more frequently used in the home with relatives and close friends. The use of Portuguese in more formal domains, including schools, is much less frequent. The results from this study corroborate a perception within the community that Port...
Effects of tricyclic antidepressants upon human platelet monoamine oxidase.

Abstract Tricyclic antidepressant drugs were found to inhibit human platelet MAO. The I50 for the inhibition by amitriptyline was 4 × 10 −6 M, 1.6 × 10 −5 M, and 2 × 10 −4 M when phenylethylamine, tryptamine, and benzylamine were used as substrates. Amitriptyline exhibited noncompetitive inhibition with the substrates phenylethylamine and tryptamine but competitive inhibition with benzylamine. Solubilization and partial purification of platelet MAO did not alter the inhibitory effects of tricyclics. Treatment of the partially purified enzyme with the chaotropic agent sodium perchlorate produced only a slight increase in the inhibition constant for amitriptyline. Our findings suggest that selective inhibition of phenylethylamine oxidation may mediate the antidepressant actions of tricyclics. In addition, our studies provide some evidence for the existence of multiple catalytic sites of MAO activity in the human platelet.
Planning a Hybrid OR Suite: Considerations From a Nurse's Perspective: Structuring for the Future

Purpose: As the need for new technology increases, the need for Operating Room (OR) capabilities also increases. The ability to use high-quality imaging during vascular cases combined with the familiarity of the OR has made a case for many hospitals to invest in a hybrid suite. With the help of a large multidisciplinary team, our hybrid suite opened in August 26, 2009. Description: Working with teams to achieve the best possible scenario for the safety and efficacy of the patient was amajor priority for the new hybrid team.We developed relationships with work groups we had never worked with before. Time was spent in our Cardiac Procedure Center, as the surgeons were familiar with the workflow and materials and preferred this arrangement. Doctorpreference cards and procedural packs were adjusted. Staff education played and continues to play a major role with opportunities including procedural outcomes and responsibilities, equipment usage and maintenance, and multiple ever-changing materials. Evaluation: As OR nurses, we are accustomed to larger incision procedures and have learned standards and recommended practices relating to these. We had to change our thought processes to meet the needs of the hybrid procedures. Though the adjustment was not easy, the patients, surgeons and staff have been more satisfied due to superior imaging, reduced set-up time, ease and availability of materials and medications and gained relationships among other units. Our hybrid room is used for training of local to national surgeons and sales representatives.
Light-stimulated GTP binding to a membrane protein in rod outer segments.

Abstract Bovine as well as frog rod outer segments contain a membrane-bound protein which binds the GTP analog GppNp in the light (Kd=0.3μM). The amount of GppNp bound is 2.5–3.5 mmole per mol rhodopsin. The binding protein (M.Wt. ⋍ 54,000) can be extracted from rod membranes with detergent and purified on an Agarose column. The chromatographic profile indicates that the binding protein is distinct from rhodopsin, GTPase or cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase.
Allergenicity of Maillard Reaction Products from Peanut Proteins

It is known that peanut allergy is caused by peanut proteins. However, little is known about the impact of roasting on the allergenicity of peanuts. During roasting, proteins react with sugars to form Maillard reaction products, which could affect allergenicity. To determine if the Maillard reaction could convert a nonallergenic peanut protein into a potentially allergenic product, nonallergenic lectin was reacted with glucose or fructose at 50 °C for 28 days. Browning products from heat-treated peanuts were also examined. The products were analyzed in immunoblot and competitive assays, using a pooled serum (i.e., IgE antibodies) from patients with peanut anaphylaxis. Results showed that the products were recognized by IgE and had an inhibitory effect on IgE binding to a peanut allergen. Thus, the findings suggest that these Maillard reaction products are potentially allergenic and indicate the need to verify whether the Maillard reaction products formed in peanuts during roasting increase their allergeni...
Relationship between genome size and maturity group in soybean

Previous studies have reported a correlation between genome size and relative maturity among plant species. The objective of this study was to determine whether such a relationship exists in soybean. Twenty cultivars, representing maturity groups ranging from 000 to IX, were analyzed using flow cytometric procedures. A 15% difference in genome size was observed ranging from ‘BSR 201’ at 2.88 pg to ‘Maple Presto’ at 2.51 pg. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.55) was observed between maturity and the genome size of the 20 cultivars.
The desirability of treatment with multiple fields in charged heavy particle therapy

The influence of the physical characteristics and biological effectiveness of pion and other charged heavy particle beams on treatment techniques is reviewed. Of major importance are the expected differences in the biological effects of variable star dose to total dose ratios (star fractions) with pion beams and with high LET to low LET dose ratios with other charged particles. Special consideration is given to the multiport irradiation configuration of the Stanford Medical Pion Generator.
The Effects of Varying Doses of T on Insulin Sensitivity, Plasma Lipids, Apolipoproteins, and C-Reactive Protein in Healthy Young Men

The effects of T supplementation on insulin sensitivity, inflammation-sensitive markers, and apolipoproteins remain poorly understood. We do not know whether T's effects on plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, and insulin sensitivity are dose dependent, or whether significant anabolic effects can be achieved at T doses that do not adversely affect these cardiovascular risk factors. To determine the effects of different doses of T, 61 eugonadal men, 18-35 yr of age, were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 groups to receive monthly injections of long-acting GnRH agonist to suppress endogenous T secretion and weekly injections of 25, 50, 125, 300, or 600 mg T enanthate for 20 wk. Dietary energy and protein intakes were standardized. Combined administration of GnRH agonist and graded doses of T enanthate resulted in nadir T concentrations of 253, 306, 542, 1345, and 2370 ng/dl at the 25-, 50-, 125-, 300-, and 600-mg doses, respectively. Plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I concentrations were inversely correlated with total and free T concentrations and were significantly decreased only in the 600 mg/wk group (change in high density lipoprotein cholesterol: -8 +/- 2 mg/dl; P = 0.0005; change in apolipoprotein A-I: -16 +/- 2 mg/dl; P = 0.0001). Serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, and apolipoprotein C-III were not significantly correlated with T dose or concentration. There was no significant change in total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, or apolipoprotein C-III levels at any dose. The insulin sensitivity index, glucose effectiveness, and acute insulin response to glucose, derived from the insulin-modified, frequently sampled, iv glucose tolerance test using the Bergman minimal model, did not change significantly at any dose. Circulating levels of C-reactive protein were not correlated with T concentrations and did not change with treatment in any group. Significant increments in fat-free mass, muscle size, and strength were observed at doses that did not affect cardiovascular risk factors. Over a wide range of doses, including those associated with significant gains in fat-free mass and muscle size, T had no adverse effect on insulin sensitivity, plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, or C-reactive protein. Only the highest dose of T (600 mg/wk) was associated with a reduction in plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I. Long-term studies are needed to determine whether T supplementation of older men with low T levels affects atherosclerosis progression.
Tilt and rotation of the footwall of a major normal fault system: Paleomagnetism of the Black Mountains, Death Valley extended terrane, California

Paleomagnetic data have been obtained from Miocene intrusions, including crosscutting mafic and felsic dikes, and Proterozoic crystalline rocks to evaluate deformation during Miocene and younger extension and unroofing of the Black Mountains, Death Valley, California. Synrift intrusions contain a well-defined and, at the site level, well-grouped magnetization, interpreted to be of dual polarity, the in situ direction of which is discordant in declination and inclination with an expected late Cenozoic reference direction. The oldest of these intrusions (11.6 ± 0.2 Ma) gives a magnetite-dominated remanent magnetization of high coercivity and high laboratory unblocking temperatures (about 550 to 580 °C) that is interpreted to predate unroofing from midcrustal depths. In situ site mean directions of this magnetization are directed toward the west and west-northwest with moderate to shallow positive (down) and negative (up) inclinations. The variation in direction of magnetization, particularly inclination, with site locality around the turtleback structures along the western flank of the Black Mountains, is interpreted to result from folding of the intrusion after remanence acquisition. Younger intrusions (≤8.7 Ma) generally give magnetizations with inclinations similar to expected Miocene values. Two populations of in situ site means are identified: one with southwest declination and negative inclination; the other with northward declination and positive inclination. A preferred interpretation for footwall deformation involves, from oldest to youngest: (1) southwest-side down tilting of the entire range block of some 20° to 40° to possibly 70° and, at least locally, folding of the crystalline rocks, on a trend parallel to the Death Valley turtlebacks, between 11.6 and 8.7 Ma; (2) progressive east-to-west footwall unroofing between 8.7 and ca. 6.5 Ma; and (3) clockwise rotation (50° to 80°) of much of the Black Mountains after the core detached from stable terrane to the west. We interpret late rotation of the Black Mountains as oroflexure related to right-lateral shear along the Death Valley fault zone.
The Optimal Distribution of Income

I. Introduction, 551. — II. The general model, 552. — III. Specification of the model, 555. — IV. The results, 567. — V. Conclusions, 576. — Appendix, 578.
Molecular dynamics of ferrocytochrome c.

The cytochromes c function as single-electron carriers in the mitochondrial electron transport chain1,2. The native structures of the proteins from different species are quite similar1,2, as are the structures of the reduced and oxidized forms3,4. The 103-residue polypeptide chain of tuna cytochrome c contains 5 α-helical segments (residues 2–13, 50–54, 61–69, 71–74, 89–100); the haem group is almost completely buried in a hydrophobic pocket and is covalently bonded to the polypeptide chain by thioether linkages involving Cys 14 and Cys 17 and by linkages to the iron involving His 18 and Met 80 (refs 1–3). NMR5,6 and hydrogen exchange7,8 studies indicate significant internal mobility in cytochrome c. In spite of the apparent similarity of the time-average structures of the reduced and oxidized proteins, the structural fluctuations are significantly larger in the latter form2,7,8. It has been suggested that the internal motions have a role in the electron transfer mechanism2,9. A 16-ps computer simulation10–14 of the atomic motions in reduced tuna cytochrome c has now been completed; this reveals various correlations between the magnitudes of the atomic position fluctuations and the structural features of the protein.
Off-pump coronary-artery bypass surgery.

Inspired in 1931 by a bedside vigil for a dying patient with massive pulmonary embolism, John Gibbon had by the early 1950s developed the heart–lung machine, or pump oxygenator. Although it affecte...
T lymphocyte induction of non-T cell-mediated nonspecific cytotoxicity. Introduction mechanisms

Mononuclear cells (MNC) from normal humans consistently failed to give nonspecific cytotoxic responses. However, after removal of T cells by sheep erythrocyte (E) rosetting, the remaining non-RFC (rosette-forming cells) now gave significant nonspecific cytotoxic responses against both autologous and allogeneic target cells. Reconstitution experiments with T cell subpopulations failed to suppress these nonspecific non-E-RFC-mediated cytotoxic responses. There was also no evidence to indicate the involvement of antibody in this nonspecific cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic cells were characterized as non-E-rosetting, non-phagocytic, and glass adherent lymphocytes; no evidence of monocyte-macrophage participation was found. The inductive trigger of non-E-RFC-mediated cytotoxicity was found to be soluble factors released by T cells during E-rosette formation at 4 degrees C. Incubation of MNC with horse, marmoset and human erythrocytes under identical conditions failed to trigger cytotoxicity. The incubation of quiescent MNC with E-rosetting supernatants (ERS) induced nonspecific cytotoxic responses equivalent to those mediated by separated non-E-RFC. ERS-activated MNC destroyed both autologous and allogeneic target cells. The ERS supernatants themselves were not cytolytic. These findings suggested that cell separation procedures, and possibly in vivo events, which activate T cells may also induce non-T cell-mediated nonspecific cytotoxicity.
Polaron and bipolaron formation in a cubic perovskite lattice

The Rice-Sneddon model for BaBiO${}_{3}$ offers a starting point for discussing polarons and bipolarons in a three-dimensional oxide crystal. We use exact diagonalization methods on finite samples to study the stability and properties of polarons and bipolarons. Because polarons, when they form, turn out to be very well localized, we are able to converge accurately our calculations for two-electron bipolaron wave functions, accounting for the Coulomb interaction without approximation. Some of our results are compared with and interpreted by reference to the variational method of Landau and Pekar. We calculate both electronic and vibrational excitations of the small polaron solutions, finding a single vibrational state localized with the full symmetry of the polaron, which has its energy significantly decreased at the onset of polaron formation. Both on-site (Hubbard) and long-range Coulomb repulsion are included in the bipolaron calculation, but due to the high degree of localization, the long-range part has only a small influence. For a reasonable on-site repulsion $U$ equal to two times the band width $W$, bipolaron formation is significantly suppressed; there is a large window of electron-phonon coupling where the polaron is stable but the bipolaron decays into two polarons.
Neovascular AMD; Effect of intravitreal ranibizumab on the retinal arteries

Purpose To study the effect of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab on the retinal arteries’ diameter in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration Methods Five patients with new-onset neovascular age-related macular degeneration were evaluated. All patients had three monthly administrated intravitreal injections of ranibizumab. The diameter of the retinal arteries was measured in vivo with a Retinal Vessel Analyzer (RVA). The measurements were performed before the first intravitreal injection and at days 7 and 30 after the first, the second and the third injection. Blood pressure was also monitored at the same time-points. Results No significant change on the retinal arterial diameter was observed after the first injection and 7 days after the second injection when compared to baseline; mean decrease in retinal arterial diameter was 1.64% and 3.5% respectively. A significant vasoconstriction of the retinal arteries was observed thereafter. Thirty days following the second and third injection, there was a mean decrease of 12.4% and 17.8% respectively on the retinal arterial diameter compared to baseline values (p < 0.05). There was no significant change in mean arterial systolic or diastolic blood pressure during the period of follow-up. Conclusion These results suggest that intravitreal ranibizumab induces retinal vasoconstriction in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration following the second injection. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results as well as its potential adverse effects in the retinal circulation in patients with age-related macular degeneration and with other retinal vascular diseases.
The response, acclimation, and remedial treatment of an enriched methanogenic culture to cyanide

An acetate enriched, methanogenic culture was exposed to cyanide in various exposure modes and concentrations. Methanogenic assays were made with cyanide as the model toxicant. The following variables were studied: solids retention time, toxicant administration pattern, fate of radioactively tagged cyanide, retention of acclimation after elapsed time intervals, effect of previous exposure to cyanide, and efficacy of remedial treatment additives. The culture was able to successfully acclimate to the presence of up to 30 mg/L of cyanide—approximately 10 fold the concentration tolerated by an unacclimated culture. The severity and duration of inhibition of methane fermentation by a slug dose of cyanide was proportional to cyanide concentration. The recovery of the methane fermentation of acetate after a 1.5 mg/L dose of cyanide was not due to significant reduction of cyanide and/or its intermediates. The methanogens maintained their acclimation potential to cyanide after 60 days of cyanide free growth. Cysteine, thiosulfate and dithionite all reduced the toxic effect of cyanide.
A contemporary examination of factors promoting the academic success of minority students at a predominantly White university

Although the numbers of minority students are increasing in higher education, researchers remain concerned about the ability of predominantly White institutions (PWIs) to support and retain these students. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors promoting the academic success of minority students at a research intensive PWI. Four themes emerged, including the impact of: a) student involvement, b) faculty interaction, c) peer support, and c) self-accountability. While this study confirms research about minority students at PWIs, it also provides new insight and provokes questions that warrant further investigation. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
The predictive validity of a resident selection system

This paper describes a new system for resident selection that uses a descriptive rating scale and a microcomputer to create a rank order list for the National Resident Matching Program. The methods utilized to analyze the time efficiency, interrater reliability, and predictive validity of the system are reported. Interrater reliability was found to be high. The rank list was shown to correlate with both clinical performance of Pl-1 and Pl-2 pediatric residents and the American Board of Pediatrics In-training Examination. Correlations for the Pl-2 year were stronger than for the Pl-1 year.
Advances in understanding the role of type I interferons in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Purpose of Review Advances in understanding the genetic and molecular basis of innate immune system activation and function have supported the hypothesis that type I interferons (IFN-I), essential mediators of anti-viral host defense, are central contributors to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This review addresses recent data that support the rationale for therapeutic targeting of the IFN-I pathway in SLE.
The desire-friction ratio of Adaptive test

Although there is a desire to implement Adaptive test, desire may not be enough to overcome the friction of making it happen. Issues with inconsistent data, data formats, data availability, lack of system infrastructure, antiquated methodologies, and the need to rely on outside sources and experts.
The Singular Temperley-Lieb Category

We introduce and study the singular Temperley-Lieb category over , which is a free pivotal category over two self-dual generators and is an extension of the (classical) Temperley-Lieb category. Our construction is motivated by a state model for the polynomial of an oriented link and provides a categorical perspective to this link invariant. We also construct a couple of polynomial invariants for oriented tangles from category theory point of view.
Thermal Effects in Thrust Washer Lubrication

A numerical model was developed to study the thermal effects on the lubrication mechanism of radially-grooved thrust washers. A mass-conserving transient thermohydrodynamic (THD) analysis was performed by solving the modified Reynolds and energy equations for the lubricant pressure and temperature distributions. The heat transfer equations were also solved simultaneously to obtain the temperature fields of the solids (thrust washers). Due to different thermal time responses of the lubricant film and the solids, heat transfer equations of the runner and the thrust washer pad were treated as in quasi-steady state at each time step in the transient solution. Elrod cavitation algorithm was implemented to include lubricant cavitation The results show that thermal effects do not only reduce load carrying capacity and the frictional torque but also increase side flow rate. Moreover, the numerical model also demonstrates that the thermal effects have greater influence on the load support when the groove depth and groove numbers increase. Furthermore, the analytical results also show that there exists certain operating conditions before thermal effects become the dominating factors in influencing the thrust washer performance.
Infrastructure of electronic information management

The information technology infrastructure of an organization, whether it is a private, non-profit, federal, or academic institution, is key to delivering timely and high-quality products and services to its customers and stakeholders. With the evolution of the Internet and the World Wide Web, resources that were once “centralized” in nature are now distributed across the organization in various locations and often remote regions of the country. This presents tremendous challenges to the information technology managers, users, and CEOs of large world-wide corporations who wish to exchange information or get access to resources in today's global marketplace. Several tools and technologies have been developed over recent years that play critical roles in ensuring that the proper information infrastructure exists within the organization to facilitate this global information marketplace Such tools and technologies as JAVA, Proxy Servers, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), multi-platform database management solutions, high-speed telecommunication technologies (ATM, ISDN, etc.), mass storage devices, and firewall technologies most often determine the organization's success through effective and efficient information infrastructure practices. This session will address several of these technologies and provide options related to those that may exist and can be readily applied within Eastern Europe.
Debugging From the Student Perspective

Learning to debug is a difficult, yet essential, aspect of learning to program. Students in this multi-institutional study report that finding bugs is harder than fixing them. They use a wide variety of debugging strategies, some of them unexpected. Time spent on understanding the problem can be effective. Pattern matching, particularly at the syntactic level, is an important technique for beginners. The Web has emerged as an obvious first place to look for similar examples. Lack of Web materials at an appropriate beginner level leads to flailing. Hypothesizing about the cause of bugs is an underdeveloped skill.
A cylindrical capacitor ionization source: droplet generation and controlled charge reduction for mass spectrometry

A cylindrical capacitor ionization source was used in conjunction with corona discharge charge reduction for generation of singly charged ions for mass spectrometric analysis. The source consists of a fused-silica capillary threaded with a platinum wire and placed inside a stainless steel tube. Application of an electric potential to the wire results in the production of a linear stream of charged droplets when an aqueous solution is pumped through the capillary. Subsequent solvent evaporation yields ions, providing a continuous ion source for mass spectrometry. Passage of the ions through a corona discharge charge reduction chamber permits reduction of the charge state to predominantly singly charged species, facilitating analysis of DNA and protein mixtures. The change from production of multiply charged ions to production of singly charged ions is extremely simple, requiring only modulation of the voltage applied to the corona discharge electrode. A simple technique for construction of the ionization source is reported.
Outcomes of multiple wire localization for larger breast cancers: when can mastectomy be avoided?

BACKGROUND: Mastectomy is often recommended when mammography shows a breast cancer with extensive calcifications. We wished to determine whether the use of multiple localizing wires to guide lumpectomy in this setting was associated with increased rates of breast conservation. We also wanted to identify factors that predicted a poor chance of successful lumpectomy, to avoid multiple lumpectomy attempts in a patient who would ultimately require mastectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Records of 153 women with breast cancer who underwent lumpectomy for larger lesions that required multiple wire localization and 196 controls who required only single wire localization were reviewed retrospectively. The number of localizing wires, specimen volume, largest specimen dimension, number of surgical procedures, and rates of breast conservation were scored. RESULTS: Seventy-seven percent of patients requiring multiple wire localization had successful breast conservation, compared with 90% of those needing only single wire localization. Only 28% of multiple wire patients required more than 1 excision to achieve clear margins, compared with 36% of single wire patients (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Breast conservation is possible in the great majority of breast cancer patients whose mammographic lesions require multiple localizing wires for excision. The use of multiple wires can decrease the number of procedures required to obtain clear lumpectomy margins.
Derivation and reliability of an instrument to estimate medical benefit of emergency treatment.

Objectives: For many patients, it is difficult to define the benefit derived from a visit to the emergency department (ED). No criterion standard exists that defines benefit from emergency treatment compared to routine outpatient care, and our limited ability to estimate benefit from emergency treatment has significant implications for emergency care-related health services research. The objectives of this study were to develop a decision algorithm to be used in estimating benefit of emergency treatment (EBET) and to assess its reliability when applied to patients making unscheduled ED visits. Methods: The EBET instrument defines benefit as a 3-level outcome, namely, significant, possible, or unlikely, and its content validity was assessed through expert review. The instrument was independently applied by multiple investigators to 3 different ED patient cohorts. A consensus-based process was used to determine the final EBET for each patient visit. Weighted κs and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess the reliability of the EBET Instrument applied individually, and the SpearmanBrown formula was used to assess the overall reliability of the EBET instrument when applied using multiple raters and a standardized consensus process. Results: A total of 875 visits (300 from a general ED population, 300 from a homeless ED population, and 275 from an HIV-infected ED population) were scored using the EBET instrument. The consensus process included independently scoring groups ranging from approximately 50 to 100 patient visits, determining the level of agreement, discussing the discordant results among the investigators, and assigning a final EBET category to each visit. This process was repeated sequentially until all visits
Effects of Beta-Sitosterol on Regression of Cholesterol Atherosclerosis in Rabbits

Feeding β-sitosterol to atherosclerotic rabbits slightly increased the regression of plasma and liver cholesterol. However, β-sitosterol had no effect on aorta lipid, cholesterol or plaque regression.
Environmental and economic assessments of heat exchanger networks for optimum minimum approach temperature

Abstract Heat exchanger networks (HENs) design for optimum minimum approach temperature (Δ T min,opt ) is presented using economic and environmental evaluations. The environmental assessment methodology includes seven environmental indices, based on the life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) of both pre-manufacturing and manufacturing stages for equipment, fuel, and energy. A single normalized and weighted environmental index ( I PC ) is developed and then incorporated with the economic index using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method to identify Δ T min,opt . Three case studies of pinched problems are presented. It is found that Δ T min,opt using I PC as the objective is similar but not identical to Δ T min,opt using annualized cost as the objective. For some environmental categories, pre-manufacturing impacts are dominant, however, environmental impacts of the HEN are always less than without a HEN. A sensitivity analysis shows the effect of several parameters on Δ T min,opt .
A Survey of Commodity Markets and Structural Models for Electricity Prices

The goal of this survey is to review the major idiosyncrasies of the commodity markets and the methods which have been proposed to handle them in spot and forward price models. We devote special attention to the most idiosyncratic of all: electricity markets. Following a discussion of traded instruments, market features, historical perspectives, recent developments and various modelling approaches, we focus on the important role of other energy prices and fundamental factors in setting the power price. In doing so, we present a detailed analysis of the structural approach for electricity, arguing for its merits over traditional reduced-form models. Building on several recent articles, we advocate a broad and flexible structural framework for spot prices, incorporating demand, capacity and fuel prices in several ways, while calculating closed-form forward prices throughout.
Relation of pH of allergenic extracts to storage and skin reactivity.

Abstract 1.1. Samples of a variety of stock allergenic extracts were stored in the refrigerator and tested for changes in pH over a period of six months. On the average, extracts prepared with buffered saline or Coca's solution exhibited the greatest pH stability, while those prepared with sulfoxylate showed a general decrease in pH. However, no samples were found to change beyond the limits of antigenic activity. 2.2. Samples of dilute ragweed extract were adjusted in pH to a variety of values and then stored at both room and refrigerator temperatures. Changes in pH were observed over a period of six months. The effect of temperature on the change of pH was not significant. 3.3. Changes in pH of ragweed extract had little effect on the skin reactivity of either allergic or nonallergic patients.
Lasers in the Treatment of Vascular Anomalies

Lasers have become an integral part in the management of hemangiomas and vascular malformations of many types. Patient outcomes have improved with new discoveries in laser technology and technique. This comprehensive review provides the parameters by which lasers are employed for common vascular anomalies of the head and neck. Research is still needed to identify ideal laser wavelength and treatment intervals for the variety of vascular lesions encountered.
Electrophysiological Studies in Endocrine Cells

It was not so many years ago that electrical activity was thought to be the exclusive property of relatively specialized cells found in nerve and muscle. During this era, electrophysiology and neurophysiology were virtually synonymous. In the last 10 or 15 years, however, the vistas of electrophysiologists have broadened greatly. All cells in the body have resting potentials, which must have developed early in evolution to solve the osmotic problem that arises when substances are sequestered in the cytoplasm (Tosteson, 1964). Membrane potentials also had an early use in energy production. According to the Mitchell hypothesis (Mitchell, 1967), the immediate source of energy for the synthesis of ATP is a transmembrane electrochemical gradient of protons. Volume control and energy production were problems confronted by cells very early on, and membrane potentials must thus have been around for a long time, and nature has devised many ways to use them.