cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Withholding or withdrawing invasive interventions may not accelerate time to death among dying ICU patients.

Background Critically ill patients may die despite invasive intervention. In this study, we examine trends in the application of two such treatments over a decade, namely, endotracheal ventilation and vasopressors and inotropes administration, as well as the impact of these trends on survival durations in patients who die within a month of ICU admission. Methods We considered observational data available from the MIMIC-III open-access ICU database and collected within a study period between year 2002 up to 2011. If a patient had multiple admissions to the ICU during the 30 days before death, only the first stay was analyzed, leading to a final set of 6,436 unique ICU admissions during the study period. We tested two hypotheses: (i) administration of invasive intervention during the ICU stay immediately preceding end-of-life would decrease over the study time period and (ii) time-to-death from ICU admission would also decrease, due to the decrease in invasive intervention administration. To investigate the latter hypothesis, we performed a subgroups analysis by considering patients with lowest and highest severity. To do so, we stratified the patients based on their SAPS I scores, and we considered patients within the first and the third tertiles of the score. We then assessed differences in trends within these groups between years 2002–05 vs. 2008–11. Results Comparing the period 2002–2005 vs. 2008–2011, we found a reduction in endotracheal ventilation among patients who died within 30 days of ICU admission (120.8 vs. 68.5 hours for the lowest severity patients, p<0.001; 47.7 vs. 46.0 hours for the highest severity patients, p = 0.004). This is explained in part by an increase in the use of non-invasive ventilation. Comparing the period 2002–2005 vs. 2008–2011, we found a reduction in the use of vasopressors and inotropes among patients with the lowest severity who died within 30 days of ICU admission (41.8 vs. 36.2 hours, p<0.001) but not among those with the highest severity. Despite a reduction in the use of invasive interventions, we did not find a reduction in the time to death between 2002–2005 vs. 2008–2011 (7.8 days vs. 8.2 days for the lowest severity patients, p = 0.32; 2.1 days vs. 2.0 days for the highest severity patients, p = 0.74). Conclusion We found that the reduction in the use of invasive treatments over time in patients with very poor prognosis did not shorten the time-to-death. These findings may be useful for goals of care discussions.
Geometric Constructions of Representations

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the geometric constructions of representations. There is a close connection between representations of a Lie group G and its coadjoint orbits, that is, G -orbits in the dual of the Lie algebra. In the case of a nilpotent group, unitary representations correspond to coadjoint orbits equipped with real polarizations, and the correspondence has been used by Kirillov to construct the representations. Harish-Chandra's parametrization of those unitary representations that enter the Plancherel decomposition of L 2 (G) , with G semisimple, are phrased in terms of coadjoint orbits, though his construction ties the representations only indirectly to the orbits in question. The chapter describes recent results on the orbit method for semisimple coadjoint orbits of semisimple Lie groups, without restriction on the type of polarization.
Shrub facilitation of tree establishment varies with ontogenetic stage across environmental gradients.

Plant-plant interactions are important drivers of ecosystem structure and function, yet predicting interaction outcomes across environmental gradients remains challenging. Understanding how interactions are affected by ontogenetic shifts in plant characteristics can provide insight into the drivers of interactions and improve our ability to anticipate ecosystem responses to environmental change. We developed a conceptual framework of nurse shrub facilitation of tree establishment. We used a combination of field experiments and environmental measurements to test the framework with a shrub (Artemisia tridentata) and a tree (Pinus monophylla), two foundation species in a semiarid environment. Shrub microsites allowed trees to overcome an early population bottleneck and successfully establish in areas without tree cover. Shrubs facilitated trees at multiple ontogenetic stages, but the net outcome of the interaction shifted from strongly positive to neutral after the transition of P. monophylla from juvenile to adult foliage. Microhabitat conditions varied across a broad elevational gradient, but interaction outcomes were not strongly related to elevation. Favorable microsites provided by A. tridentata cover are crucial for P. monophylla recovery after stand-replacing disturbance. Models of vegetation response to rapid global environmental change should incorporate the critically important role of nurse shrub interactions for ameliorating population bottlenecks in tree establishment.
Community identity, governance, and resilience under agri-environmental shifts in two communities of southwestern Uruguay

Since the beginning of the 21st century, rural communities in southwestern Uruguay have responded differently to agri-environmental challenges created by increases in the production of genetically ...
Nutrition support for the burn patient

Nutritional support remains an important aspect in the care of critically ill patients, especially those with severe burns. The unique hypermetabolic state occurring after a severe burn can cause metabolic rates to double and is accompanied by severe catabolism. The hypermetabolic state persists for more than a year after severe injury, and if nutritional support does not meet the increased energy expenditures, patients experience significant loss of lean muscle mass, impaired wound healing and immune dysfunction [1, 2]. The goal of nutritional support in the burn patient is to ameliorate and optimize the deranged metabolism and avoid nutritional complications.
Rotating oil droplets driven by motile bacteria at interfaces.

We show that oil droplets suspended near a liquid–solid interface can be driven to rotate by motile bacteria adhered to the droplet surface. Droplets rotate clockwise when viewed from the liquid side, due to symmetry-breaking hydrodynamic interactions of bacteria with the interface. The angular speed of rotation for droplets decreases as their size is increased. Differences in the speed of rotation driven by Escherichia coli, Shewanella haliotis, and Halomonas titanicae bacteria reflects differences in the number of bacteria adhered at the droplet surface and their interfacial affinity. Adding surfactant reduces the number of adherent bacteria and hence lowers the speed of rotation. Together, these results demonstrate that bacterial activity can be used to manipulate suspended droplets.
Volition Speaks Louder Than Action: Offender Atonement, Forgivability, and Victim Valuation in the Minds of Perceivers.

On hearing of others’ offenses, people frequently intervene to encourage offenders to correct their wrongs. However, externally imposed reconciliatory behaviors may not effectively convince outside...
GCNNMatch: Graph Convolutional Neural Networks for Multi-Object Tracking via Sinkhorn Normalization.

This paper proposes a novel method for online Multi-Object Tracking (MOT) using Graph Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN) based feature extraction and end-to-end feature matching for object association. The Graph based approach incorporates both appearance and geometry of objects at past frames as well as the current frame into the task of feature learning. This new paradigm enables the network to leverage the "context" information of the geometry of objects and allows us to model the interactions among the features of multiple objects. Another central innovation of our proposed framework is the use of the Sinkhorn algorithm for end-to-end learning of the associations among objects during model training. The network is trained to predict object associations by taking into account constraints specific to the MOT task. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach in achieving top performance on the MOT '15, '16, '17 and '20 Challenges among state-of-the-art online approaches. The code is available at this https URL.
Mechanisms of species range shift: germination and early survival of Great Basin bristlecone pine and limber pine

To examine the potential mechanistic predictors of germination and first-year survival in two species of Great Basin sub-alpine trees along an elevation gradient on three soil types. Using a network of experimental gardens, we sowed limber pine and Great Basin bristlecone pine along elevational gradients at three sites on three different soil types. We collected germination and first-year survival data of each species while measuring temperature, soil water content, and other environmental variables to examine the potential predictors of first-year survival in these two species. Thanks to consecutive anomalously wet and dry years, we found germination and first-year survival to be largely limited by soil type, soil water content, and precipitation timing. Limber pine germination and survival showed weak negative responses while bristlecone pine germination and survival showed stronger negative responses to temperature. Young trees are more sensitive to water limitation than to temperature and soil type has a strong moderating effect on water availability. Precipitation timing affected this availability with winter snowpack being less important in establishment than summer monsoonal rain. These results point to the importance of substrate and understanding limitations on all life stages when attempting to predict species range shifts.
Factor V activity in apheresis platelets: Implications for management of FV deficiency.

BACKGROUND Allogeneic platelet (PLT) infusion is a strategy to raise Factor V (FV) levels in patients with congenital FV deficiency. However, since FV is labile in vitro, we hypothesized that FV activity could be low in PLT units. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS FV activity was tested using a prothrombin time-based platform in the supernatant and platelet lysate (PL) of apheresis PLT units (16 units stored in PLT additive solution with acetate and phosphate [PAS-C] and 10 units stored in plasma only), on post-collection days 3-6. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t test (P < .05). RESULTS FV activity was severely diminished in PAS-C PLTs (N = 16) supernatant (3.70% ± 1.02%) and PL (3.26% ± 1.02%). FV activity in plasma-only PLTs (N = 10) was lower in both supernatant (44.55% ± 6.46%) and lysate (39.67% ± 6.33%) relative to normal plasma levels, but both were significantly higher (P < .0001) compared to PAS-C PLTs. In a separate set of experiments, FV activity in PAS-C PLTs examined serially over storage time (N = 3 for these experiments) showed that FV levels were reduced by day 3 and not significantly different by day 5 of storage (Day 3 supernatant 5.03% ± 1.41%; Day 5 supernatant: 3.10% ± 0.57%; P = .2; Day 3 lysate: 3.89% ± 1.03%; Day 5 lysate: 2.61% ± 0.41%; P = .4). CONCLUSION Plasma should be considered over PLTs as first-line therapy for non-complex FV deficiency-associated hemorrhage. If PLTs are considered for transfusion, plasma-only PLT units should be preferentially utilized, as PAS-C PLT have near-absent FV activity.
Infrastructural obfuscation: unpacking the carceral logics of the Ring surveillant assemblage

Amazon’s Ring relies on infrastructural obfuscation to hide their infrastructures through urban camouflage (as doorbells, floodlights, sensors) while simultaneously expanding the carceral state and...
MO-AB-201-01: Regulatory Compliance and Safety with New Radiotherapies: Spheres and Ra-223

The role of the Radiation Safety Officer at a medical facility can be complicated. The complexity of the position is based on the breadth of services provided at the institution and the nature of the radioactive materials license. Medical practices are constantly changing and the use of ionizing radiation continues to rise in this area. Some of the newer medical applications involving radiation have unique regulatory and safety issues that must be addressed. Oversight of the uses of radiation start at the local level (radiation safety officer, radiation safety committee) and are heavily impacted by outside agencies (i.e. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, State Radiologic Health, The Joint Commission (TJC), etc). This session will provide both an overview of regulatory oversight and essential compliance practices as well as practical ways to assess and introduce some of the new applications utilizing radioactive materials into your medical facility. Learning Objectives: Regulatory Compliance and Safety with New Radiotherapies: Spheres and Ra-223 (Lance Phillips) 1. Understand the radioactive materials license amendment process to add new radiotherapies (i.e., SIR-Spheres, Therasphere, Xofigo). 2. Understand the AU approval process for microspheres and Xofigo. 3. Examine the training and handling requirements for new procedures. 4. Understand the process involved with protocol development, SOP in order to define roles and responsibilities. The RSO and The RSC: Challenges and Opportunities (Colin Dimock) 1. Understand how to form an effective Committee. 2. Examine what the Committee does for the Program and the RSO. 3. Understand the importance of Committee engagement. 4. Discuss the balance of the complimentary roles of the RSO and the Committee. The Alphabet Soup of Regulatory Compliance: Being Prepared for Inspections (Linda Kroger) 1. Recognize the various regulatory bodies and organizations with oversight or impact in Nuclear Medicine, Radiology and Radiation Oncology. 2. Examine 10CFR35 requirements as they relate to the everyday practice of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Oncology. 3. Understand the nature of available guidance documents (e.g., NUREG 1556). 4. Examine the commonalities between TJC and CMS preparedness.
Lack of mammalian reduction or alkylation of 24-methylenecholesterol.

Abstract The Δ24(28)-bond of 24-methylenecholesterol was not detectably reduced by rats either in vivo or in a liver enzyme preparation. Since the Δ24(25)-bond of other sterols is reduced under the same conditions, mammalian Δ24(25)-reductase must discriminate between the two positions of the pi-electronic system. It also follows that rats do not possess a Δ24(28)-reductase and are therefore incapable of biosynthesizing 24-methylcholesterol as plants do through reduction of a 24-methylene intermediate. 24-Methylenecholesterol also failed in the rat to undergo further addition of a carbon atom to yield a 24-ethylidene- or 24-ethyl derivative as occurs in plants.
ChIP-on-Chip Analysis methods for Affymetrix Tiling Arrays.

Although the ChIP-sequencing has gained significant attraction recently, ChIP analysis using microarrays is still an attractive option due to the low cost, ease of analysis, and access to legacy and public data sets. The analysis of ChIP-Chip data entails a multistep approach that requires several different applications to progress from the initial stages of raw data analysis to the identification and characterization of ChIP binding sites. There are multiple approaches to data analysis and there are several applications available for each stage of the analysis pipeline. Each application must be evaluated for its suitability for the particular experiment as well as the investigator's background with computational tools. This chapter is a review of the commonly available applications for Affymetrix ChIP-Chip data analysis, as well as the general workflow of a ChIP-Chip analysis approach. The purpose of the chapter is to allow the researcher to better select the appropriate applications and provide them with the direction necessary to proceed with a ChIP-Chip analysis.
Information Technology Fashions

Recent studies of management fashions have used discourse data that contributed to our understanding of the forces underlying the rise and fall in popularity of new management techniques. Like management fashions, there are many IT (information technology) fashions. Testing the extent to which the theory of management fashions apply to IT fashions help us better understand not only IT fashions but also what is generic to the fashion phenomenon and what is unique to particular fashions like IT or management fashions. This study makes a step toward that goal by postulating and testing three hypotheses concerning the similarity and difference between IT and management fashion lifecycles: that IT fashions depend more heavily ? relative to management fashions ? on exogenous factors. As a result, the duration of its ascent period is (1) shortening over time, (2) shortening at a rate faster than that for management fashions, (3) but yet longer in absolute magnitude than that for management fashions. A bibliometric study yields partial confirmation, illustrating the usefulness of the theoretical framework provided by the theory of management fashion in the study of IT fashions while revealing unique characteristics of IT fashions that deserve further investigations
The Ionosphere and Upper Atmosphere

Because our society is becoming increasingly dependent on technological systems that can be affected by ionospheric phenomena during geomagnetic storms, the ionosphere, its electrodynamics, and its coupling with the neutral atmosphere and the magnetosphere are being studied as part of a coordinated program of "space weather" research. This research seeks to characterize the variability of ionospheric density and electric currents during magnetic storms, and to determine to what extent valid predictions of those phenomena and their effects can be made.
Early deficits in cortical control of swallowing in Alzheimer’s disease

The goal of this study was to determine whether functional changes in cortical control of swallowing are evident in early Alzheimer's disease (AD), before dysphagia (swallowing impairment) is evident. Cortical function was compared between an early AD group and a group of age-matched controls during swallowing. Swallowing oropharyngeal biomechanics examined from videofluoroscopic recordings were also obtained to more comprehensively characterize changes in swallowing associated with early AD. Our neuroimaging results show that the AD group had significantly lower Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) response in many cortical areas that are traditionally involved in normal swallowing (i.e., pre and postcentral gyri, Rolandic and frontal opercula). There were no regions where the AD group showed more brain activity than the healthy controls during swallowing, and only 13% of all active voxels were unique to the AD group, even at this early stage. This suggests that the AD group is not recruiting new regions, nor are they compensating within regions that are active during swallowing. In videofluoroscopic measures, the AD group had significantly reduced hyo-laryngeal elevation than the controls. Although, swallowing impairment is usually noted in the late stages of AD, changes in cortical control of swallowing may begin long before dysphagia becomes apparent.
Bromocriptine treatment of women with suspected pituitary prolactin-secreting microadenomas.

Abstract The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of bromocriptire in reducing serum prolactin (PRL) levels and in decreasing the size of PRL-secreting microadenomas. Bromocriptine, 5.0 mg, was administered daily for 2 years to 17 women who had galactorrhea, hyperprolactinemia, and hypocycloidal polytomographic evidence suggestive of a pituitary microadenoma. Serum PRL levels were normalized in 16 of 17 women during therapy. Associated with this was resumption of regular menses in 15 of 16 women with menstrual dysfunction and cessation of galactorrhea in 16 of the 17 women. Improvement in the roentgenographic appearance of the sella turcica occurred in two women. No progression in tumor size was found during the course of therapy. Side effects attributed to bromocriptine were minimal, transient, and usually well tolerated. These data suggest that bromocriptine is an appropriate therapeutic modality for PRL-secreting pituitary microadenomas.
Managing Contextual Performance

The pace of organizational change in the 21st century is accelerating. Fueled by technology and globalization, networked structures are replacing traditional hierarchical models and teams are becoming the primary organizational unit. Although the way that we work today is very different from the way we worked twenty years ago, effective management of employee performance is still a key to organizational success. Our rewards and recognition systems still focus primarily on task completion and goal achievement. But there is another side to employee performance that is equally important but often unrecognized and unrewarded, contextual performance. Contextual performance refers to activities that are not task - or goal - specific but that make individuals, teams, and organizations more effective and successful. This book chapter begins by defining contextual performance (distinguishing it from task performance) and then reviews the antecedents and outcomes of contextual performance. Next, we describe issues associated with managing contextual performance including appraising contextual performance, recognizing and rewarding contextual performance, the effect of the feedback environment on contextual performance, whether contextual performance does (or should) influence career development and advancement, and we conclude with legal considerations.
A class of zero wasted area floorplan for VLSI design

A new approach to solve the floorplan area optimization problem is proposed. Using the analogy between a floorplan and a resistive network, the length and width of an individual block of a floorplan are represented by the voltage and current of a branch in a resistive network of a certain topology. The floorplan area minimization problem becomes a resistive network synthesis problem with a given power dissipation. By applying network and graph theories, a systematic network analogy procedure is developed. Necessary and sufficient conditions for zero wasted area floorplan are also given. An optimal algorithm for solving the optimization problem is proposed by replacing the nonlinear equations with the linear ones. Experimental results show that the authors' algorithm is efficient and can handle a large floorplan successfully. >
Lysis of Bacterial Cell Walls by an Enzyme Isolated from a Myxobacter

Ensign, J. C. (University of Illinois, Urbana), and R. S. Wolfe. Lysis of bacterial cell walls by an enzyme isolated from a myxobacter. J. Bacteriol. 90:395–402. 1965.—An exoenzyme which lyses intact cells, heat-killed cells, and cell walls of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes was purified 60-fold from the growth liquor obtained from a myxobacter (strain AL-1). The lytic enzyme was produced during growth of the organism in a number of complex media, the maximal amount of enzyme being produced in yeast extract broth. The purified enzyme lysed at different rates a number of gram-positive bacteria. With the exception of Rhodospirillum rubrum, Spirillum itersonii, and S. serpens, the gram-negative bacteria tested were not attacked.
Basal Metabolism in Polycythemia Vera

Excerpt Following the introduction of the Zuntz Geppert method of studying the respiratory metabolism, Senator, Lommel, Tangl, Gordon, Grafe, von Bergmann and Plesch, Rőver, Plehn, Mohr, and Shill ...
Chapter 28 To Market, To Market — 2008

Publisher Summary The pharmaceutical market in 2008 saw the launch of 24 new molecular entities (NMEs) for therapeutic use. Although the NMEs of the previous few years were dominated by anticancer and anti-infective drugs, a significant shift was seen in this trend in 2008 . New biological entities (NBEs) accounted for approximately 20% of the NMEs with five product launches. In addition to these NBEs, the year also saw the market entry of four new vaccines, most notably an immunotherapy to prevent recurrence in stage II colon cancer patients following surgical tumor resection. Among the cardiovascular and hematological NMEs launched past year, Amgen's recombinant fusion protein known as “Nplate ®” attracted significant attention due to its therapeutic novelty. Romiplostim—a thrombopoietin receptor (TpoR) agonist—represented the only first-in-class therapy of the year. Moreover, Promacta ® —a small molecule TpoR agonist by Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK)—also received approval for the treatment of ITP.
A theory on constructing a hyper-acuity electronic device

The vision system can differentiate a misalignment of two lines up to 1/10 of photoreceptor size (called hyper-acuity), even though its retinas are moving randomly. Over the last few decades, several theories have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. Using computer simulation, it is shown that a device can be built to achieve hyper-acuity. The study also reveals several interesting insights.
Microscale enzymatic optical biosensors using mass transport limiting nanofilms. 1. Fabrication and characterization using glucose as a model analyte.

“Smart tattoo” sensorsfluorescent microspheres that can be implanted intradermally and interrogated noninvasively using lightare being developed as potential tools for in vivo biochemical monitoring. In this work, a platform for enzymatic tattoo-type sensors is described and prototype devices evaluated using glucose as a model analyte. Sensor particles were prepared by immobilizing Pt(II) octaethylporphine (PtOEP), a phosphorescent dye readily quenched by molecular oxygen, into hybrid silicate microspheres, followed by loading and subsequent covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase. Rhodamine B-doped multilayer nanofilms were subsequently assembled on the surfaces of the particles to provide a reference signal and provide critical control of glucose transport into the particle. The enzymatic oxidation of glucose within the sensor results in the glucose concentration-dependent depletion of local oxygen levels, enabling indirect monitoring of glucose by measuring relative changes in PtOEP emission. A cust...
Policy Considerations for Construction of Wind Farms and Biofuel Plant Facilities: A Guide for Local Agencies

The construction of energy facilities, particularly wind farms and biofuel plants, can be of great benefit to local communities. They can generate jobs and provide considerable revenue to local land owners, while at the same time they can contribute to the sustainability of the community's (and the nation's) energy resources. In the US, local communities are beginning to develop both types of sustainable energy sources in an attempt to realize these benefits. However, wind farms and biofuel plants may also have adverse impacts on the existing infrastructure, the environment, the aesthetics, and the safety of neighboring residents in the communities. While a few communities have completed the process of constructing wind farms and biofuel plants, many more are expected to follow. However, there is currently limited comprehensive information on the appropriate policy considerations for local agencies. To that end, the objective of this paper is to provide local agencies with specific financial, community, s...
The usefulness of positron emission tomography

The evaluation of myocardial blood flow, especially in conjunction with studying either residual oxidative metabolism or glucose uptake, accurately identifies potentially reversible myocardial dysfunction. It also reliably distinguishes between an irreversible and reversible impairment in left ventricular wall motion. The presence of metabolic abnormalities as evidence of reversible dysfunction is associated with an increased risk for cardiac-related morbidity and death and thus identifies patients likely to gain most from surgical revascularization. Restoration of blood flow to reversibly dysfunctional myocardium that occupies at least 15% to 20% of the left ventricle reduces long-term mortality, improves congestive heart failure-related symptoms, and enhances left ventricular performance. Blood flow-metabolism imaging can be especially useful for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy who are evaluated for cardiac transplantation. A PET-driven management algorithm aids in identifying those patients likely to benefit most from revascularization. Such identification can reduce significantly the cost of managing patients with end-stage coronary artery disease.
High resolution studies of glass‐crystal interfaces

SUMMARY High resolution electron microscopy has been used to image intergranular glassy phases in sintered and hot-pressed nitrogen ceramics, and the Si-SiO2 interfaces important in MOS devices. The thin intergranular glassy phases were found at most grain boundaries in all liquid-phase sintered or hot-pressed ceramics examined. Silicon carbide sintered by a solid state diffusion process, however, contained no such phases. Si-SiO2 interfaces have been examined in cross-section at about 0ṁ3 nm resolution. The images show that the transition from the Si crystal to the amorphous oxide was abrupt, but that there were 0ṁ3-0ṁ5 nm high hills on the Si surface, separated by 2–4 nm, and long-range undulations of 0ṁ6-0ṁ8 nm height and 20–50 nm periodicity. Ultra-thin (3 nm) oxides were also examined and were found to be uniform in thinkness, indicating that the roughness at the Si-SiO2 interfaces is initially caused by irregularities on the original, unoxidized Si surface.
Deterioration of left ventricular ejection fraction and contraction synchrony during right ventricular pacing in patients with left bundle branch block

Electrocardiographic left bundle branch block (LBBB) may be intrinsic, due to ventricular conduction system disease, or induced by right ventricular pacing. Prior reports clearly delineate the derogatory impact of LBBB on left ventricular (LV) mechanical synchrony and global function, and suggest that the intrinsic and induced varieties are equivalent. This study sought to determine the difference in LV synchrony and global function between intrinsic LBBB and right ventricular apical pacing induced LBBB. Ten patients with heart failure, diminished ejection fraction (EF) (33 ± 11%), intrinsic LBBB and an implanted cardiac pacing device were studied. In each patient, separate gated SPECT acquisitions were performed during intrinsic ventricular activation (atrial pacing) and during induced LBBB (atrial and right ventricular pacing). During each condition, LVEF, contraction synchrony (phase standard deviation, PSD), and spatial pattern of activation were measured. Compared to intrinsic, induced LBBB was associated with decreased EF (30 ± 11% vs 33 ± 11%, P = .007), contraction synchrony (PSD 49.7 ± 23.2° vs 41.6 ± 19.8, P = .02), and a disparate spatial pattern of activation. Induced LBBB is associated with significantly worse global and regional LV mechanical function than intrinsic LBBB.
Guanylyl cyclase receptors and their endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine ligands

Cyclic GMP concentrations have long been known to increase in response to a wide variety of agents, including hormones and neurotransmitters (Goldberg and Haddox, 1977). During the last few years there have been major advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of such elevations, most of which occurred following the discovery of natural, endogenous molecules capable of both elevating cyclic GMP concentrations in intact cells and activating soluble or particulate forms of guanylyl cyclase in cell lysates. Members of the Guanylyl Cyclase Receptor Family Soluble guanylyl cyclase is a heterodimer (al-81), whose subunits have predicted molecular sizes of 77.5 kd (a) and 70.5 kd (8) (see references in Chinkers and Garbers, 1990). One other putative a subunit and 8 subunit have been identified by use of the polymerase chain reaction or low stringency hybridization and were assigned as a or 8 based on their degree of identity with al and 81 (Yuen et al., 1990; Harteneck et al., 1990). It is not known if the reported a3 and 83 subunit mRNAs from human brain (Giuili et al., 1992) encode the human counterparts of the rat and bovine al and 81 subunits. Although regions of a2 more closely resemble the 8 subunits than al, coexpression of a2 and 81 conveys enzyme activity whereas ala2 does not (Harteneck et al., 1991). The C-terminal sequence of 82 (CVVL) has the potential to be prenylated (Yuen et al., 1990). If it is, heterodimeric forms of guanylyl cyclase also may be associated with membranes, thus explaining occasional reports of nitric oxide-sensitive membrane forms (Murad et al., 1978). The three mammalian forms of particulate guanylyl cyclase for which complete sequence information is available have been designated GC-A (NPRA), GC-B (NPRB), and GC-C (STaR), in the order of their discovery (reviewed in Yuen and Garbers, 1992). One other protein, the ANP Minireview
P03-334 - Neuroleptic malignant syndrome diagnosis: an international consensus study using the Delphi technique

Objectives To develop consensus-based clinical diagnostic criteria for neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Methods A 17-member international expert panel of psychiatrists, neurologists, anesthesiologists and emergency medicine specialists was asked to identify clinical features that are most important or valuable in diagnosing NMS; when the feature was quantitative in nature, they were also asked to provide the corresponding critical value. The Delphi technique is a formal consensus procedure that employs a postal survey method to solicit opinions from each panel member, and to feed this information back to the entire panel in the form of anonymous, statistically aggregated data. This iterative process of information exchanges (opinions collected, group responses analyzed, feedback given to panel), or “rounds”, continues until consensus has been reached. In the present study, the predetermined consensus criterion was a round-round mean change of 10% or less for any survey item, and 5% or less across all items. Results The expert panel reached consensus on the following diagnostic criteria in five iterations: (1) exposure to a dopamine antagonist, or dopamine agonist withdrawal, within past 72 hours; (2) hyperthermia; (3) rigidity; (4) mental status alteration; (5) creatine phosphokinase elevation; (6) sympathetic nervous system lability (2 or more of blood pressure elevation, blood pressure fluctuation, diaphoresis, urinary incontinence); (7) tachycardia and tachypnea; and (8) negative work-up for infectious, toxic, metabolic and neurological causes. Conclusions These are the first consensus-based diagnostic criteria for NMS, and may be preferred to previous ad hoc approaches to diagnosing this disorder.
Energy equilibration and anomalous mass drift in heavy ion collisions

The lack of mass drift towards symmetry observed in many Kr-induced reactions, and the excessive mass drift towards larger asymmetry in Ne, Ar-induced reactions, is explained in terms of a dynamical driving force towards larger mass asymmetries due to the attempt of the smaller fragment to contain its temperature gradient with respect to the heavy fragment.
Nerve Agent Bioscavengers: Protection With Reduced Behavioral Effects

Although treatments for intoxication by organophosphorus nerve agents exist, the treatment regimens suffer from undesirable side effects. To overcome these disadvantages, the use of bioscavengers has emerged as a new approach to reduce the in vivo toxicity of chemical warfare nerve agents. Bioscavengers fall into two broad categories: stoichiometric (i.e., proteins that bind a poison in some fixed ratio) and catalytic (i.e., proteins that can cause the breakdown of a molecule of a poison, regenerate, and then repeat the process until all of the poison molecules have been destroyed). To be an improvement of current treatments, a biological scavenger should have no or minimal behavioral or physiological side effects, should provide protection against one or more nerve agents up to 5 times the median lethal dose (5 LD50), and should reduce or eliminate any behavioral or physiological side effects normally associated with the currently fielded therapy. Studies with equine or human butyryl-cholinesterase or fe...
Crystalline and liquid crystalline polyesters of phenyl-substituted 4,4'-biphenols and 1,1'-binaphthyl-4,4'-diol. 3. Copolymers with 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid

Wholly aromatic, thermotropic copolyesters, derived from either 3-phenyl-4,4‘-biphenol, 3,3‘-diphenyl-4,4‘-biphenol, or 1,1‘-binaphthyl-4,4‘-diol with either terephthalic acid or 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid and 30 mol % 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, were prepared by melt polycondensation reactions and characterized for their thermotropic liquid crystalline properties by a wide variety of experimental techniques. The three copolyesters containing phenyl-substituted 4,4‘-biphenols had either lower fusion temperature, Tf, or lower crystal-to-nematic transitions, Tm, than those of an analogous series of copolyesters containing unsubstituted 4,4‘-biphenol. Each of them formed a nematic phase above its Tf/Tm values, which was supported from the X-ray diffraction pattern obtained from each of the oriented fibers. Their nematic phases showed both a marbled texture and a Schlieren texture. In one case, a banded texture was also observed, without being subjected to shear. Although the polarized light microscopy ...
The effect of fasting, alloxan diabetes, and streptozotocin diabetes on rat liver d-arabinose (l-fucose) dehydrogenase activity

Abstract The specific activity of d -arabinose ( l -fucose) dehydrogenase is elevated 25, 16, and 20% in the livers of fasted, alloxan diabetic and streptozotocin diabetic rats, respectively, as compared to normal control values. The specific activity of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in both groups of diabetic animals was greatly decreased. The same results are obtained if the data are calculated on the basis of activity per gram of wet weight of liver or on the basis of activity per 100 grams body weight. The increase in specific activity of d -arabinose ( l -fucose) dehydrogenase under these conditions may indicate a preferential sparing of the enzyme reflecting a greater utilization of a pathway of l -fucose catabolism.
Approximation by integro cubic splines

Years ago, after I presented a paper on spline functions at Oxford University, Professor Powell criticized us for using, most of the time, the function values rather than the integral values on constructing of the spline functions. His comments and his request became the main motivation for this work. In this paper, we assume that, on each subinterval of the spline interval [a, b], the integral value of the function y = y(x) is known. By using these values, rather than the function values at the knots, we introduce a class of new types of interpolatory cubic splines to approximate the function y = y(x). The selection of the end conditions for our integro cubic splines will be discussed. The numerical examples and computational results, illustrate and guarantee a higher accuracy for this approximation.
The failure of success in fisheries management

Law of the Sea negotiations and The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 create new options in fisheries management. Historical analysis of two major management programs in the United States of America, Columbia River chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), shows two unresolved management problems. One is the innovativeness of fishermen in seeking ways to improve their harvests. The other is changing social priorities that are largely unpredictable and outside the control of fisheries managers. A method for analysis of patterning associated with management goals is illustrated. Since the general management goals are harvest improvement and more predictability, measures are used which show the adequacy of fit and reduction in variability between actual and predicted management outcomes.
EXPERIMENTAL MATERNAL HYPERPHENYLALANINEMTA: DISAGGREGATION OF FETAL BRAIN RIBOSOMES

Disaggregation of polyribosomal structures has been demonstrated in fetal rat brains following treatment of the maternal animal with para-chloro-d,l-phenylalanine (used primarily to inhibit maternal phenylalanine hydroxylase, EC 1.14.3.1) and with phenylalanine (used to raise the level of circulating phenylalanine in maternal and fetal plasma). Since highly disaggregated polyribosomal systems cannot support normal levels of protein synthesis in vitro, it has been postulated that the composition of the free amino acid pool(s) plays a regulatory role in protein synthesis through the intermediary effect of polyribosomal aggregation-disaggregation. We believe that a possibly prolonged period of disaggregation of neuronal polyribosomes might disrupt neuronal protein synthesis sufficiently in utero to produce the mental insufficiency observed in the offspring of untreated maternal phenylketonurics.
Cardiovascular and antiarrhythmic activity of amotriphene

Abstract Amotriphene (Myordil, WIN 5494) has been shown to have a coronary dilator activity about twice that of papaverine, yet to be devoid of myocardial stimulant action. Amotriphene will significantly reduce the sinus tachycardia induced by a parasympatholytic drug, and will reduce to a lesser extent heart rates in normal animals. Amotriphene is 4 and 8 times more active than quinidine and procaine amide, respectively, in increasing the refractory period of the isolated rabbit atrium. It is equal to quinidine in decreasing conduction velocity. It will reduce auricular and ventricular rate as well as produce normal sinus rhythm in experimentally induced auricular flutter and fibrillation. Amotriphene will convert digitalis-induced cardiac arrhythmias to a normal rate. This combination of coronary dilator and cardiac antiarrhythmic properties of amotriphene is of potential value in the treatment of angina-like conditions and the milder cardiac arrhythmias.
Group I and group II metabotropic glutamate receptor allosteric modulators as novel potential antipsychotics

Recently, there has been a shift in the schizophrenia field focusing on restoring glutamate signaling. Extensive preclinical data suggests that mGlu5 PAMs could have efficacy in all three symptom domains but there is concern of potential adverse effects. New insights into mechanisms underlying this toxicity may provide a path for discovery of safe mGlu5 PAMs. Genetic mutations in mGlu1 have been described in schizophrenics creating interest in this receptor as a therapeutic target. Preclinical data demonstrated the antipsychotic potential of mGlu2/3 agonists but clinical trials were not successful. However, studies have suggested that mGlu2 is the subtype mediating antipsychotic effects and selective mGlu2 PAMs are now in clinical development. Finally, recent genetic studies suggest mGlu3 modulators may be pro-cognitive.
State Estimation using Optical Flow from Parallax-Weighted Feature Tracking

Computer vision presents an attractive sensor option for micro aerial vehicle (MAV) applications due to the payload and performance restrictions imposed by typical mission scenarios. Optical flow can be measured by tracking the perceived motion of feature points between successive image frames. This perceived featurepoint motion yields information regarding vehicle motion as described through geometric relationships. This paper presents an optimization-based approach to estimate aircraft angular rates and wind-axis angles using monocular vision. A bias in the optical-flow equations is lev eraged to decouple components resulting from angular and translational motion, respectively. Attempts to resolve the ambiguity introduced by the loss of depth information are avoided through this decoupling. Additionally, estimator performance is shown to rely on proper selection of feature points used for the estimation process. Parallax measurements are used to identify features that are most likely to yield accurate state estimates. The technique is then demonstrated through simulation.
Biostability and blood-contacting properties of sulfonate grafted polyurethane and Biomer.

Sulfonate-containing polyurethanes were evaluated for in vivo biodegradation using subcutaneously implanted tensile bars. In addition, these anionically charged polyurethanes were evaluated for in vivo activation of human complement C3a and ex vivo platelet deposition in arteriovenouslyshunted canines. The sulfonate derivatized polymers included laboratory synthesized polyurethane and Biomer. Other polymers used for references included IntramedicTM polyethylene, SilasticTM and a poly(ethylene oxide) based polyurethane. The biodegradation results indicated that Biomer and the laboratory sulfonated Biomer (both manufactured with stabilizers), remained mechanically stable, retaining both tensile strength and elasticity after 4 weeks of subcutaneous implantation. The unstabilized polyurethanes (with or without sulfonation), however, showed marked cracking and a loss of mechanical properties after the same period of subcutaneous implantation. Sulfonated polyurethanes depressed human complement C3a activation i...
Temperature dependence of the elastic shear moduli of the cubic metals

A theoretical model for the temperature dependence of the elastic shear moduli of the cubic metals is presented which accounts for the quantitative relationship of these elastic properties to the thermal expansion. The particular phenomenon which the model is concerned with is the extremely rapid temperature variation of the shear moduli, which typically is about 25 times as great as the rate of thermal expansion. The model has the following salient features: (i) The interatomic pair pseudopotential is approximated over the important thermal range by means of a Morse potential; (ii) the thermal expansion is assumed to arise from anharmonic Morse oscillators which are further assumed not to be significantly coupled to each other; (iii) the exact quantum-mechanical solutions for the Morse oscillators are then combined with the Debye model to give an analytic formula for the thermal expansion; (iv) the elastic shear moduli are calculated from this, assuming nearest-neighbor interactions only. The calculated thermal expansions are found to agree quite well with the experimental values, particularly at low temperatures. The rapid temperature variation of the shear moduli is explained by the model in terms of the thermal movement of the nearest neighbors with respect to the interatomic-potential minima. Complete agreement between calculated and experimental shear moduli has been limited, however, by the contributions beyond the nearest neighbors which are not zero, and which have not been included in the formulas.
Design Considerations for Electromagnetic Railguns

Electromagnetic (EM) railguns are similar to powder guns in that both provide an accelerative force to the projectile, while accepting the resulting recoil impulse. They are designed to contain lateral and axial pressure. They must be capable of surviving the thermal environment to which they are exposed. Although there are similarities, there are also striking differences. Both are explored in the present paper with emphasis placed on EM railgun design.