cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A prostacyclin analog prevents the regression of renal microvascular network by inhibiting mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in the kidney of rat progressive glomerulonephritis

We have previously demonstrated that renoprotective effects of a prostacyclin analog, beraprost sodium, on the kidney of anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis (GN) rats. The aim of this study is to address the renoprotection mechanism of beraprost sodium, especially in the terminal stage of GN. Beraprost sodium was orally administrated from 2 to 7 weeks after induction of GN, and renal function, morphology, protein and mRNA levels were analyzed. We found the beraprost sodium treatment suppressed the structural regression of renal microvascular network and decline of renal blood flow occurred in the kidney of GN rats. To address the mechanism of the structural maintenance, we focused on apoptosis because the increased number of apoptotic renal microvascular endothelial cells and tubular epithelial cells was observed in the kidneys of GN rats as compared with normal and beraprost sodium treated rats. Protein and mRNA analyses demonstrated that mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway was activated in the kidneys of GN rats, and beraprost sodium suppressed the activation by modulating the expression patterns of pro- and anti-apoptotic factors. These results suggest that inhibition of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis of renal cells in GN kidney and consequent maintenance of renal functional structures, including microvascular network might contribute to the renoprotective effect of beraprost sodium in GN.
Optically Directed Assembly of Continuous Mesoscale Filaments

We demonstrate irreversible continuous filament formation when a weak laser focus is positioned near the edge of an evaporating colloidal droplet containing carbon and gold nanoparticles. Optical trapping, hydrothermal, and chemical interactions lead to controlled colloidal synthesis of stable, irreversible mesoscale filaments of arbitrary shape and size. Mechanisms for this optically directed assembly are discussed with fluid dynamics, molecular dynamics, and lattice kinetic Monte Carlo calculations.
Fiber Diffraction Patterns for General Unit Cells: the Cylindrically Projected Reciprocal Lattice

The positions of reflections on the diffraction pattern from a polycrystalline fiber are described by a cylindrical projection of the reciprocal lattice. The characteristics of the projection depend on the crystal system and the orientation of the fiber axis relative to the unit-cell axes. Expressions describing the cylindrically projected reciprocal lattice for a general triclinic system and any orientation of the fiber axis are derived. Calculations using these expressions illustrate characteristics of the projected reciprocal lattice and aid in the interpretation of fiber diffraction patterns.
Room Temperature Electrodeposition of Molybdenum Sulfide for Catalytic and Photoluminescence Applications

An elegant method for the electrodeposition of MoS2 thin films using room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) as an electrolyte was developed. Simple molecular precursors of Mo and S were added in different concentrations to tune the composition and deposition process. The electrodeposition of MoS2 was confirmed with both Raman spectroscopy and XPS. Analysis showed that the electrodeposited MoS2 films form a flower shape morphology with edge active sites that promote the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Furthermore, this technique enables selective tuning of the film thickness and demonstrates high photoluminescence activity with a decrease in the number of layers.
Zinc and Chronic Renal Disease

Summary Hypozincemia is common in patients with hronic renal insufficiency, and in patients with ESRD treated with peritoneal and hemodialysis. The causes of the decreased plasma zinc concentration in these patients are not completely understood, but poor nutritional zinc intake, diets associated with attempts to prevent the progression of renal failure, prescribed mineral supplements and medications, hypoalbuminemia, diminished gastrointestinal zinc absorption, increased urinary zinc excretion and redistribution of zinc into the intracellular fluid may all affect extracellular fluid zinc concentration and total body zinc stores in patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Zinc intake is probably the most important determinant of total body zinc status and plasma zinc concentration in these patients. The extent of true zinc depletion in this population is unknown, but it is likely to be an important problem. Patients with ESRD treated with hemodialysis may have similar reasons for developing hypozincemia, although it is unlikely that urinary losses play an important role in the development of negative zinc balance in this group. Although there is little evidence that hemodialysis results in net zinc losses, treatment effects may result in the redistribution of zinc from the extracellular fluid, resulting in the development of hypozincemia. Because such patients appear to be susceptible to the development of negative zinc balance due to gastrointestinal zinc losses, it would seem that they require increased levels of zinc intake. The similarity of the symptoms of zinc deficiency and uremia have prompted several studies of the effects of zinc supplementation on taste acuity, sexual, immune and neurologic function in hemodialysis patients, with some positive results. Patients with ESRD treated with CAPD may have hypozincemia as well, for reasons similar to those suggested in patients treated with hemodialysis. De-spite protein losses in the peritoneal dialysate, net influx of zinc occurs during peritoneal dialysis. Since zinc deficiency may mediate some symptoms of uremia in patients treated for ESRD, clinicians should consider measuring circulating zinc concentration and providing therapeutic supplementation with zinc salts to hypozincemic patients with abnormalities of taste, sexual and immune function. Studies which have demonstrated a beneficial effect of zinc supplementation have used daily doses of 50 mg of zinc, given as zinc acetate, zinc chloride, or zinc sulfate. Zinc sulfate ingestion has been associated with gastrointestinal side effects. Zinc chloride has been added to dialysate in chronic studies to achieve a final zinc concentration of 400 μg/L, with beneficial results. The proper route, amount and length of such therapies, however, are currently unknown. Whether one zinc compound has clinical advantages compared to others must also await con-trolled clinical evaluation.
Application of a Pull on a Disk Method to Measure Surface Tension of Liquids

The intrinsic property of liquids is a vital indicator of formulation performance and stability. Therefore, investigation of the interfacial phenomenon of surface tension is a routine procedure in the development of products in a wide variety of areas including foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and painting technologies. We hypothesize that studies related to the maximum pull on a rod can be extrapolated to disk geometry and applied to measure surface tension using a texture analyzer. A glass disk probe was attached to the arm of a texture analyzer and pulled from the liquid surface. The maximum force of detachment was used to calculate surface tension extrapolating from the theory of maximum pull on a rod. The surface tension of water, ethanol, and a hydroalcoholic solution was measured and compared with literature values to validate this hypothesis. The calculated values of surface tension for the liquids studied were within 5% of the reported values. Probe diameter appears to have an important role on surface tension accuracy compared with literature values. Slight discrepancies can be attributed to temperature control and leveling of liquid surface, although still in accordance with the reported values of surface tension measured using different methods. This study presents a simple, precise, and quick method to determine the surface tension of liquids from the maximum pull on a disk. Further studies are warranted to determine the optimum glass disk probe diameter for better accuracy.
Induction of c-fos and c-jun mRNA at the M/G1 border is required for cell cycle progression.

The proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun have been shown in numerous model systems to be induced within minutes of growth factor stimulation, during the G0/G1 transition. In this report we use the mitotic shake-off procedure to generate a population of highly synchronized Swiss 3T3 cells. We show that both of these immediate-early, competence genes are also induced during the M/G1 transition, immediately after completion of mitosis. While c-fos mRNA levels drop to undetectable levels within 2 hr after division, c-jun mRNA levels are maintained at a basal level which is ∼ 30% maximum throughout the remainder of G1. In order to access the functional significance of these patterns of c-fos and c-jun expression, antisense oligodeoxynucleotides specific to c-fos or c-jun were added to either actively growing Swiss 3T3 cells or mitotically synchronized cells, and their ability to inhibit DNA synthesis and cell division determined. Our results show that treatment of Swiss 3T3 cells with either c-fos or c-jun antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, while actively growing, during mitosis, or in early G1, results in a reduction in ability to enter S and subsequently divide. This was also true if Swiss 3T3 cells were treated during mid-G1 with c-jun antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. These results demonstrate that the regulation of G1 progression following mitosis is dependent upon the expression and function of the immediate-early, competence proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of pantoprazole in clinically normal neonatal foals.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a mainstay of treatment for acid-related ulceration in man and horses. Currently, only an oral preparation of omeprazole is approved for use in horses in the USA. Intravenous administration of a PPI would provide a useful therapeutic alternative for those foals in which oral medication is not feasible. Objective: To investigate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of pantoprazole following i.v. or intragastric administration in healthy neonatal foals. Methods: Seven healthy foals age 6–12 days at the start of the study were evaluated. Treatments included no drug administration, i.v. pantoprazole (1.5 mg/kg bwt) and intragastric pantoprazole (1.5 mg/kg bwt). Intragastric pH was recorded for 24 h after drug administration for pharmacodynamic evaluation. Plasma pantoprazole concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: Plasma concentrations of pantoprazole were detectable at the 5 min sampling point following i.v. or intragastric administration. Bioavailability of intragastric-administered pantoprazole was 41%. Baseline mean hourly pH was 1.5–6.1. There was a statistically significant increase in mean hourly pH relative to untreated foals 2–24 h after i.v. or intragastric pantoprazole administration. Conclusions: Based on these data, i.v. or intragastric administration of pantoprazole results in a significant, prolonged increase in intragastric pH. Potential relevance: The i.v. formulation of pantoprazole may provide a clinically useful alternative means of acid suppression in foals unable to tolerate enteral administration of a PPI, such as those with pyloric outflow obstruction.
Long acting reversible contraception in postpartum adolescents: early initiation of etonogestrel implant is superior to IUDs in the outpatient setting.

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate the outpatient initiation of postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Design Prospective cohort study of pregnant adolescents’ prenatal contraceptive intentions and successful postpartum initiation of LARC. Setting Urban, university hospital-affiliated, adolescent outpatient clinic. Participants Adolescents attending an integrated prenatal and postpartum maternity clinic. Interventions Data were collected via the electronic medical record and telephone interview. Main Outcome Measures Contraceptive intentions during the third trimester, contraceptive methods used postpartum, timing of LARC initiation, timing of resumption of intercourse. Results 116 patients were enrolled; 75% intended LARC use postpartum. Of 38 implant-intenders, 14 received it within 14 days postpartum. All reported abstinence pre-placement. Mean time to insertion was 18±13 days. Of 37 IUD-intenders, only two received one by 8 weeks postpartum. By 14 weeks postpartum, 43% received one. Over half reported intercourse prior to insertion; the only method of contraception used was condoms. Mean time to insertion was 70±11 days. Resumption of intercourse prior to initiation of the intended LARC method was significantly higher in IUD recipients compared to those who intended and received the implant (RR 8.8; CI 1.3–57.5). Conclusion In postpartum teens attending a clinic that prioritizes contraceptive use, the implant is far more likely to be received prior to resumption of sexual activity than the IUD. This may be due to more and earlier opportunities for placement, or waning commitment with time since delivery. Post-placental IUDs may be needed to equal the success of the implant in this patient population. Short-acting, reliable contraceptive methods should be implemented for postpartum adolescents preferring to wait for IUD insertion.
Increased Cardiovascular Disease, Resource Use, and Costs Before the Clinical Diagnosis of Diabetes in Veterans in the Southeastern U.S.

Importance Screening for diabetes might be more widespread if adverse associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD), resource use, and costs were known to occur earlier than conventional clinical diagnosis.
Archimedean spiral cavity ring resonators in silicon as ultra-compact optical comb filters

We present an ultra-compact comb filter using an add-drop ring resonator with an Archimedean spiral cavity. The cavity consists of two interleaved spiral branches which are connected in the center using arcs of circle of a radius that causes minimum bend loss. We describe the design procedure and examine the physical parameters governing the resonator performance. As an example, we demonstrate experimentally a comb filter with a 25 GHz channel spacing made of silicon photonic wires and only occupies an area of 80 × 90 µm2, approximately a 70 fold size reduction compared to a racetrack resonator. The filter transmission is free of spurious reflections, attesting to the smooth transition between different sections of the resonator cavity. Over a 40 channel wavelength span, the filter exhibits a quality factor Q > 35,000, extinction ratios > 10 dB, and an excellent power uniformity with variations < 0.5 dB for both the through and drop ports.
An overview of epigenetics and chemoprevention

It is now appreciated that both genetic alteration, e.g. mutations, and aberrant epigenetic changes, e.g. DNA methylation, cause cancer. Epigenetic dysregulation is potentially reversible which makes it attractive as targets for cancer prevention. Synthetic drugs targeting enzymes, e.g. DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase, that regulate epigenetic patterns are active in clinical settings. In addition, dietary factors have been suggested to have potential to reverse aberrant epigenetic patterns. Uncovering the human epigenome can lead us to better understand the dynamics of DNA methylation in disease progression which can further assist in cancer prevention.
EVIDENCE THAT THE L-ASPARAGINASE OF GUINEA PIG SERUM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS ANTILYMPHOMA EFFECTS : I. PROPERTIES OF THE L-ASPARAGINASE OF GUINEA PIG SERUM IN RELATION TO THOSE OF THE ANTILYMPHOMA SUBSTANCE

A number of the properties of the L-asparaginase present in guinea pig serum have been examined and shown to be indistinguishable from those of the agent responsible for inhibiting cells of lymphoma 6C3HED in vivo. The patterns of instability of the enzyme to changes in temperature and pH were found to parallel closely those of the antilymphoma agent. L-Asparaginase activity was essentially absent from the serum of newborn guinea pigs and this failed to inhibit 6C3HED cells. On separating guinea pig serum proteins by salt precipitation, electrophoresis, and chromatography on DEAE cellulose, antilymphoma activity was found only in fractions which contained L-asparaginase.
Action prediction and identification from mining temporal user behaviors

Predicting user's action provides many monetization opportunities to web service providers. If a user's future action can be predicted and identified correctly in time or in advance, we cannot only satisfy user's current need, but also facilitate and simplify user's future online activities. Traditional works on user behavior modeling such as implicit feedback or personalization mainly investigate on users' immediate, short-term or aggregate behaviors. Hence, it is difficult to understand the diversity in temporal user behavior and predict user's future action. In this paper, we consider a forecasting problem of temporal user behavior modeling. Our first objective is able to capture relevant users that will perform an action. The second objective is able to identify whether a user has finished the action, even when the action happened offline. We propose an ensemble algorithm to achieve both objectives. The experiment compares several implementation methods and demonstrates the temporal user behavior modeling using the ensemble algorithm significantly outperforms other methods.
Roles of αv integrins in vascular biology and pulmonary pathology

The five integrins that contain the alphav subunit are widely expressed and their expression is tightly regulated. However, most tissues in mice lacking the alphav subunit, and thus deficient in all five integrins, develop normally, suggesting that nearly all of the critical steps in development and cellular differentiation can occur in the absence of these integrins. Studies over the past few years have identified highly specialized roles for specific alphav integrins in preventing inappropriate vascular growth and in control of vascular permeability. Two members of this family, alphavbeta6 and alphavbeta8, play novel roles in activating latent complexes of the growth factor TGFbeta (transforming growth factor beta). Studies in mice lacking the beta6 subunit have identified unexpected roles for alphavbeta6-mediated TGFbeta activation in models of pulmonary and renal fibrosis, acute lung injury and pulmonary emphysema.
Tympanometric findings in young children during upper respiratory tract infections with and without acute otitis media.

Background: Upper respiratory tract infections (URI) likely lead to acute otitis media (AOM) by causing Eustachian tube dysfunction which creates negative middle ear pressure. Children younger than 2 years of age are at highest risk for AOM compared with older children and adults. There has been no published study comparing the middle ear status during URI in infants and young children by age group. Methods: We analyzed data from a prospective, longitudinal study of virus-induced AOM. Healthy children 6 –35 months of age were enrolled in a study designed to capture all AOM after URI during a 1-year follow-up period. Tympanometry was used to address the middle ear status; tympanometric findings during the first week of URI were compared among different age groups. Tympanograms were classified into type A (normal), type B (middle ear effusion), and type C (negative middle ear pressure). Results: Children 6 –11 months of age with URI experienced abnormal tympanograms more frequently than older children (P 0.001). The peak day for an abnormal tympanogram was day 2 of the URI. Abnormal tympanogram tended to be type B in children age 6 –23 months and type C in children age 24 – 47 months (P 0.001). One-third of children older than 24 months of age had type C tympanogram during the first week of URI. Conclusions: Eustachian tube dysfunction and middle ear abnormality during URI are more severe in children younger than 2 years of age, compared with older children. These findings could help explain the higher incidence of AOM after URI in younger children.
Seasonal occurrence of balanomorph barnacle nauplius larvae in the region of the Antarctic Peninsula

Plankton samples taken along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula and in Bransfield Strait show widespread occurrence of Bathylasma corolliforme nauplius larvae during the austral spring, mid-October to the third week of December. During autumn, between the first week of May and early June there was a complete absence of balanomorph nauplii. This evidence shows periodicity in reproduction. There is a seemingly close correlation between the presence of these nauplii and the published data on phytoplankton biomass and seawater surface temperature.
The Geomydoecus (Mallophaga: Trichodectidae) from the hispid pocket gopher (Rodentia: Geomyidae).

Four species of Geomydoecus are recognized from the Hispid Pocket Gopher, Orthogeomys hispidus . These are G. copei , found in the northern 1/3 of the host range, and G. yucatanensis, G. chapini , and G. hoffmanni , n. sp. (type-host: O. h. isthmicus ), comprising a closely-related group found in the remaining southern 2/3 of the range. These species are described and illustrated; a map shows their distribution.
θ −1 Sum rules and long-range correlations in binary solutions

The 1/θ sum rules are derived for two-component uniform many-body systems. The density fluctuations are quantized for the case when both components satisfy Bose statistics. Information about the long wavelength behavior of the liquid-structure functions is deduced from both the sum rules and the zero-point density fluctuations.
Evaluation of two cognitive-behavioral approaches to general anger reduction

Inductive social skills training (ISST) based on principles from Beck's cognitive therapy and cognitive-relaxation coping skills (CRCS) were compared to a no treatment control for general anger reduction. Preliminary analyses suggested equivalent, quality administration of treatments and no systematic bias in the 1-year follow-up sample. By 5-week follow-up, treatment groups, compared to the control, showed reductions of trait anger, daily anger level, anger in response to a wide range of situations, anger in the person's greatest ongoing source of provocation, anger-related physiological arousal, and trait anxiety. Regarding anger expression, treatment groups both lowered suppressive and outwardly negative anger expression styles, whereas CRCS also enhanced a controlled style of anger expression. Both groups also led to higher proportions of participants meeting a clinically reliable change index on trait anger. No treatment effects were found for assertiveness. One-year follow-up generally revealed maintenance of effects found at 5-week follow-up. Results are discussed in terms of prior findings, the efficacy and flexibility of ISST, and the need for greater clarity in relating anger and assertiveness, measuring anger, and generalizing findings.
Gap misrepair mutagenesis: efficient site-directed induction of transition, transversion, and frameshift mutations in vitro.

Abstract Short single-stranded gaps can be constructed by limited exonuclease action at single-stranded breaks (nicks) placed at predetermined sites on closed circular DNA molecules. As efficient primer-templates for DNA polymerase, single-stranded gaps can be repaired in vitro to regenerate an intact DNA duplex. In this report two in vitro reaction schemes are described that produce a high frequency of errors during repair ("misrepair") of gaps and thereby allow the efficient recovery of mutations limited to the nucleotide sequence at or near the original gap. In the first of these misrepair schemes, nucleotide misincorporations are stimulated by omission of one of the four deoxynucleoside triphosphates; the misincorporations are trapped by the presence of excess DNA ligase in the reaction mixture. The second misrepair scheme involves the misincorporation of an excision-resistant alpha-thiophosphate nucleotide, followed by gap filling in the presence of all four conventional deoxynucleoside triphosphates. When applied to short gaps constructed at one of several unique restriction sites on the small plasmid pBR322, both gap misrepair methods yielded mutations within the targeted restriction site at high frequency (6--42%). A majority of the sequence changes identified were base substitutions; transversions and transitions are approximately equally represented. The remaining sequence changes were an insertion of a single base pair and deletions of one to four base pairs.
Microparticles in stored canine RBC concentrates.

Background Transfusion of RBC concentrates may cause adverse effects in the recipient, particularly when stored > 2 weeks. Prestorage removal of WBCs and platelets (leukoreduction, LR) improves clinical outcome in the human recipient. As blood ages during storage, progressive alterations in the structure and function of the cells occur. Changes in cell membranes may lead to formation of microparticles (MPs) in stored blood. Objectives The aim of the study was to quantify MP concentration in supernatants from canine RBC concentrates from 11 clinically healthy dogs. Methods Whole blood units (n = 11) were collected and randomized either to be stored without LR (n = 5), or to be subject to prestorage LR (n = 6). Whole blood was processed for the generation of RBC concentrates, from which aliquots were aseptically collected weekly for 5 weeks. Supernatants from the concentrates were evaluated for phosphatidylserine-expressing MPs by flow cytometry using staining with Annexin-V-phycoerythrin. Results Microparticle counts were similar between non-LR and LR units on storage days 0 and 7, but were significantly higher in non-LR units on days 14, 21, 28, and 35. MPs increased during the 35-day storage by a mean (SD) of 1.8 (1.4)-fold in LR units and 5.5 (3.1)-fold in non-LR units. Conclusions There was marked formation of phosphatidylserine-expressing MPs during storage beyond 7 days in canine RBC concentrates. Prestorage LR attenuated the generation of MPs.
The tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome(s): chromosome 8 long arm deletion: is there a shortest region of overlap between reported cases? TRP I and TRP II syndromes: are they separate entities?

Critical cytogenetic (re)evaluation of 2 of our own cases of tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome II (TRP II), or Langer-Giedion syndrome (LGS), and 10 cases from the literature, suggests that the shortest region of overlap of the 8q deletion is a part of band q24. 1. This region is assumed to be causally related to this syndrome, and possibly also to TRP I syndrome which, therefore, may not be a causally separate entity.
Stochastic game theoretical model for packet forwarding in relay networks

In this article, a new game theoretical method is proposed to model packet forwarding in relay networks. A simple case of relay network that consists of a source, a relay and a destination node communicating on a common channel is considered. A stationary Markovian game model is utilized to optimize the system performance in terms of throughput, delay and power consumption cost. Both cooperative and non-cooperative solutions are provided for this model. Best strategy set taken by players as well as system performance is studied for different system parameters. Also, the proposed method is extended to model a more general case of Ad-hoc networks considering different packet error rates in case of collision occurrence that improves the system performance further. Simulation results show that performance of the non-cooperative solution, in which players do not require to know each other's selected strategy, asymptotically approaches the cooperative system performance. Hence, the proposed model with non-cooperative solution is an appropriate method to apply in practical Ad-hoc networks.
Satisfying constraint sets through convex envelopes

In this article, we present a general representation for constraint satisfaction problems with disjunctive relations called cluster constraint systems (CCS). For this representation, we develop a novel and simple approach for solving CCSs using convex envelopes. These envelopes can be used to decompose the feasible space of the CCS through convex approximations. We explore interval reasoning as a case study of CCS. Our experimental results demonstrate that such CCS can be effectively and efficiently solved through convex enveloping with very modest branching requirements in comparison to other generic as well as specialized algorithms for interval reasoning. In fact, convex enveloping solves significantly more cases and more efficiently than other methods used in our test bed.
HAEMOSTASIS STUDY IN THALASSAEMIC PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF LIVER DISEASE. 179

A pannel of haemostatis parameters (I, II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, ATIII, PC, PS, Plg, FPA, TAT, PAP, D-dimers) were studied in 4 groups of patients with thalassemis major. Group A: 14 patients ([horizontal bar over]x age 22.5 ± 4.0 yrs) with compensated cirrhosis ([horizontal bar over]x ferritin levels 3.148 ± 2.004 ng/ml), Group B: 16 pts ([horizontal bar over]x age 20.1 ± 3.0 yrs) with chronic active or persistent hepatitis C ([horizontal bar over]x ferritin levels 2.835 ± 1.246 ng/ml), Group C: 15 pts ([horizontal bar over]x age 24.0 ± 5.3 yrs) with haemosiderosis ([horizontal bar over]x ferritin levels 3.189 ± 1.935 ng/ml) and Group D: 18 young pts ([horizontal bar over]x age 7.1 ± 2.1 yrs) without hepatitis ([horizontal bar over]x ferritin levels 2.317 ± 960 ng/ml). All patients were on chelation thcrapy with desferrioxamine. A statistically significant reduction in fibrinogen, FII, FX, Antithrombin III(ATIII), Protein C (PC), Protein S (PS) and Plasminogen (Plg) values was observed in all groups of patients as compared to controls. Increased FVIII and PS levels were found in Group A and D respectively. Elevated Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) levels (a marker of fibrinogen degradation by thrombin) were demonstrated in 40% of pts in Groups A,B and C which were not correlated with indications of coagulation (↑TAT) or fibrinolytic (↑PAP) system activation. Thalassaemic patients are prone to develop liver dysfunction as a result of haemosiderosis or/and HBV or HCV infection, nevertheless the haemostatic defect differed from Group to Group of patients and in general it was mild (probably due to a selective production of the haemostasis components by the hepatocytes) and not associated with haemorrhagic or thrombotic complications, at least during the period of the study.
COMPARING CONDITIONAL AND MARGINAL DIRECT ESTIMATION OF SUBGROUP DISTRIBUTIONS

Many large-scale assessment programs in education utilize “conditioning models” that incorporate both cognitive item responses and additional respondent background variables relevant for the population of interest. The set of respondent background variables serves as a predictor for the latent traits (proficiencies/abilities) and is used to obtain a conditional prior distribution for these traits. This is done by estimating a linear regression, assuming normality of the conditional trait distributions given the set of background variables. Multiple imputations, or plausible values, of trait parameter estimates are used in addition to or, better, on top of the conditioning model—as a computationally convenient approach to generating consistent estimates of the trait distribution characteristics for subgroups in complex assessments. This report compares, on the basis of simulated and real data, the conditioning method with a recently proposed method of estimating subgroup distribution statistics that assumes marginal normality. Study I presents simulated data examples where the marginal normality assumption leads to a model that produces appropriate estimates only if subgroup differences are small. In the presence of larger subgroup differences that cannot be fitted by the marginal normality assumption, however, the proposed method produces subgroup mean and variance estimates that differ strongly from the true values. Study II extends the findings on the marginal normality estimates to real data from large-scale assessment programs such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS). The research presented in Study II shows differences between the two methods that are similar to the differences found in Study I. The consequences of relying upon the assumption of marginal normality in direct estimation are discussed.
The Dual Expansion Method: An Application for Evaluating the Effects of Population Growth on Development

The dual expansion method is an extension of the expansion method, a technique for creating or modifying mathematical models. The dual expansions method builds upon the proposition that when an expansion is defined, a dual expansion is also implicitly defined, much in the same way as dual mathematical programming formulations are implied by primal ones. Several uses of the dual expansions method are outlined and one of them is demonstrated. The dual expansion method is applied to investigating the effects of the rate of population growth on the rate of economic development. The findings obtained reveal significant negative effects of population growth on development that contrast with the inconclusive results of related empirical analyses reported in the literature.
Free convection performance of circular cavities having two active curved vertical sides and two inactive curved horizontal sides

A detailed review of the archival reveals that the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of circular cavities have not been investigated so far and of course their physical features are not understood. A prominent application of these cavities arises in the miniaturized packaging of electronic components that are subject to strict constraints. This paper addresses primarily steady-state laminar natural convection of air in a circular cavity of diameter H inscribed in a square cavity of side H where the corresponding sides are in contact at four points. A third cavity, an arc–square cavity whose shape lies between the square and circular cavity shapes is included in the analysis. The finite volume method is used to perform the numerical simulations. The methodology takes into account the second-order-accurate QUICK scheme for the discretization of the convective term, whereas the pressure–velocity coupling is handled with the SIMPLE scheme. Since the air is not assumed a Boussinesq gas, it was decided to take all thermophysical properties as temperature-dependent. In the end, it has been demonstrated that the circular cavity possesses a superior balance between heat transfer enhancement and size in cross-section area in comparison with the standard square cavity. The side of the square cavity is similar to the diameter of the circular cavity.
Once an outsider, always an outsider? CEO origin, strategic change, and firm performance

In this study, we examine how the relationship between the level of strategic change in the pattern of resource allocation and firm performance differs between firms led by outside CEOs and those led by inside CEOs. Based on longitudinal data on the tenure histories of 193 CEOs who left office between 1993 and 1998, we find that the level of strategic change has an inverted U-shaped relationship with firm performance. As the level of change increases from slight to moderate, performance increases; as the level of change increases from moderate to great, performance declines. Further, we find that this inverted U-shaped relationship differs between firms led by outside CEOs and those led by inside CEOs. That is, both the positive effect of strategic change on firm performance when the level of change is relatively low and the negative effect of strategic change on firm performance when the level of change is relatively high are more pronounced for outside CEOs than for inside CEOs. Supplementary analyses also suggest that this difference between outside and inside CEOs exists in later years but not in the early years of CEO tenure. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the relationship between handedness and longevity.

Abstract During the past five years, there have been numerous studies of the relationship between handedness and longevity. In this report, I review previous contributions and use methods of survival analysis on a set of 4,448 males to determine the strength of the relationship between handedness and longevity. The results indicate that left‐handers have small, yet significant, declines in survival probabilities between the ages of 65 and 85.
Additivity model for calculations of UHF spin densities in some aza‐aromatic radical anions

The additivity model suggested by Moss et al. has been applied for predicting spin densities in aza-aromatic radical anions. The core-resonance integrals (βrs) have been evaluated using Linderberg's relation. The spin-density values calculated using the additivity model, have been found to be in good agreement with unrestricted Hartree–Fock (UHF) spin-density values.
Surgical therapy in the management of coronary anomalies: Emphasis on utility of internal mammary artery grafts

Abstract Three patients with an aaiomaEous main coronary artery coiassing between the greai vessels ace presented with a review of the literature. Their surgical treatment by coronary artery bypass grafting with use of the ipsilateral internal mammary artery is described with angiografic follow-up. Young patients with these anomalies, whether they are asymptomatic or have syncope, are at high risk for sudden death. Older patients with angina appear to be adequately risk stratified by thallium stress tests. For patients requiring surgical intervention, aortoplasty and coronary artery bypass grafting have both resulted in relief of Symptoms, but the follow-up is limited, We suggest that coronary artery bypass grafting with an ipsilateral internal mammary artery graft to the anomalous vessel is the procedure most likely to relieve ischemia and achieve good long-term results for both symptomatic relief and survival.
Dysfunctional Behavioral Modulation of Corticostriatal Communication in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease

Background: In Huntington’s disease (HD), motor symptoms develop prior to the widespread loss of neurons in striatum and cerebral cortex. The aim of this study was to examine dysfunctional patterns of corticostriatal communication during spontaneously occurring behaviors in a transgenic mouse model of HD. Methodology/Principal Findings: Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from two closely interconnected areas, motor cortex and dorsal striatum, in wild-type controls (WT, n=14) and a widely used transgenic HD model (R6/2 mice, n=12). All mice were between the ages of 7–9 weeks, a critical period of motor symptom development in R6/2s. Recordings were obtained while the mice were behaving freely in an open field. Specific LFP activity was extracted using timestamps for three increasingly demanding motor behaviors: 1) resting; 2) grooming; and 3) active exploration. Power spectral densities (PSD) were obtained for the cortical and striatal LFPs as well as coherence levels and relative phase across the frequency spectrum. In both brain regions, only R6/2s showed high frequency LFP oscillations during rest and grooming. As behavior increased from resting to exploring, corticostriatal synchrony at high frequencies declined in R6/2s, completely opposite to the WT pattern. R6/2s also exhibited nearly in-phase corticostriatal activity (cortex phase leads of ,5u), while the WTs consistently showed cortical phase lags of ,20u across all assessed behaviors, indicating a lead role for striatum. Conclusions/Significance: Our results add to growing evidence for altered communication between cortex and striatum in HD and suggest more generally that increasingly demanding motor behaviors differentially modulate corticostriatal communication. Our data also suggest conduction delays in R6/2 corticostriatal transmission, leading to compensatory speeding of LFP activity, as evidenced by the presence of high frequency LFP oscillations.
Regulation of Bud Rest in Tubers of Potato, Solanum tuberosum L: VI. Biochemical Changes Induced in Excised Potato Buds by Gibberellic Acid.

The rest period of the potato tuber was studied in relation to certain biochemical changes that are induced by gibberellic acid (GA(3)). The concentration of reducing sugars in excised plugs with buds treated with 10(-4)m GA(3) decreased in the first 4 hours after treatment and then rapidly increased up to 70 hours. The pattern in control buds was similar, but the changes occurred more slowly. The response to GA(3) is temperature-dependent and is not limited to any particular tissue of the tuber. The concentration of reducing sugars in excised buds increased proportionally to the log of the concentration of GA(3) in a range from 10(-8) to 10(-4)m. At 10(-3)m, GA(3) slightly inhibited production of reducing sugars. Malonate inhibits the initial decrease and the subsequent increase in reducing sugars in control buds, but not the increase induced by GA(3).Total protein in buds was not influenced by 10(-4)m GA(3) over a period of 40 hours, nor did activity of alpha-amylase increase significantly until 20 hours after beginning of treatment. Invertase activity was present initially and, in the presence of GA(3), increased after 20 hours. GA(3) had no effect on starch phosphorylase activity, which was always present and remained steady over the 20-hour test period.In short term experiments the rate of protein synthesis and synthesis of specific protein fractions were not affected by 10(-4)m GA(3), as measured by the incorporation of l-phenylalanine-U-(14)C or by experiments with (14)C- and (3)H- labeled l-phenylalanine or l-leucine.
DRINKING AND PARENTAL UNPREDICTABILITY AMONG ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS: A PILOT STUDY

Within-family differences that mediate the relationship between family history for alcoholism and alcohol consumption were investigated. Twenty adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and 20 children of social drinking parents (non-ACOAs) were interviewed in 1991 (mean age 24.2 years). Participants described family functioning while growing up and indices of their alcohol consumption. Family history for alcoholism had a direct association with two aspects of drinking. ACOAs reported more lifetime drinks and tended to report drinking more frequently during high school, as compared to non-ACOAs. ACOAs also reported more parental unpredictability, which in turn was associated with the above drinking indices. Finally, family history for alcoholism had an indirect association with drinking, as unpredictability mediated this relationship. Research and prevention implications are discussed.
Effects of Tetrodotoxin on Impedance in Normal and Asphyxiated Cerebral Tissue

Abstract The effect of tetrodotoxin (TTX) on cerebral tissue impedance was studied in the cat, as was the effect of TTX on impedance changes induced by calcium and asphyxiation. Impedance measurements were made at 1.0 kHz, in focal volumes of approximately 1.0 mm 3 , using a Wheatstone bridge technique. In cats with chronically implanted electrodes, introduction of 1–250 ng of TTX in 0.5 μl CSF into the lateral geniculate body caused no change in cerebral tissue impedance. In acute experiments, topical applications of 0.05–50 μg of TTX in 0.1 ml CSF markedly reduced the amplitude of the cortical EEG without altering cortical tissue impedance. When asphyxiation was preceded by treatment of cortex with TTX, postasphyxial increases in both resistive and reactive impedance were delayed by 4–6 min. A similar delay, together with a marked reduction in the postasphyxial resistance increase, has been shown previously to occur following treatment of the cortex with CaCl 2 . The application of CaCl 2 to the cortex prior to asphyxiation did not interfere with the postasphyxial reactance rise. When TTX treatment of the cortex was followed by applications of CaCl 2 , the resulting cortical impedance increases were indistinguishable from those following application of CaCl 2 without prior TTX treatment. Postasphyxial resistance changes in calcium treated cortices were inversely related to the resistance changes induced by the calcium prior to asphyxiation. However, when the cortex was treated with TTX followed by CaCl 2 prior to asphyxiation, this inverse relation was lost. The postasphyxial impedance change following cortical pretreatment with TTX and calcium were delayed as with TTX alone. In terms of models of cerebral tissue impedance the results suggest that conductivity changes in hydrated extracellular macromolecules may play an important role in cerebral tissue impedance changes.
Orbital character of O-2p unoccupied states near the Fermi level in CrO{sub 2}

The orbital character, orientation, and magnetic polarization of the $\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}2p$ unoccupied states near the Fermi level ${(E}_{F})$ in ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ was determined using polarization-dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism from high-quality, single-crystal films. A sharp peak observed just above ${E}_{F}$ is excited only by the electric-field vector $(\mathbf{E})$ normal to the tetragonal c axis, characteristic of a narrow band $(\ensuremath{\approx}0.7$ eV bandwidth) constituted from $\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}2p$ orbitals perpendicular to c $(\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}{2p}_{y})$ hybridized with Cr ${3d}_{\mathrm{xz}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{yz}}{t}_{2g}$ states. By comparison with band-structure and configuration-interaction cluster calculations our results support a model of ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ as a half-metallic ferromagnet with large exchange-splitting energy $({\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{\mathrm{exch}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{split}}\ensuremath{\approx}3.0\mathrm{eV})$ and substantial correlation effects.
STRONG MODULATION OF THE EXCHANGE INTERACTION IN A SPIN-POLARIZED, ARYL ETHER-LINKED 1,14-BIRADICAL

The time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of a 1,14-bis(alkyl)biradical linked via the para position of an aryl ether moiety has been studied. Previously the spectrum obtained at 50 °C could not be simulated using spin-correlated radical pair (SCRP) theory. It is successfully simulated here by adding modulation of the exchange interaction (J) to the fitting routine as a T2 relaxation mechanism. Inclusion of this line-broadening effect allowed an accurate value of the exchange interaction to be determined for this temperature. Comparison of this J value with that obtained in previous work for the meta isomer of the same biradical showed that the dominant mechanism of J coupling is through-solvent rather than through-bond. The magnitude of the J modulation matrix elements in the two isomers are discussed as are their temperature dependencies.
Runtime Monitors to Detect and Prevent Union Query Based SQL Injection Attacks

Web applications are increasingly used in recent years to provide online services such as banking, shopping, social networking, etc. These applications operate with sensitive user information and hence there is a high need for assuring their confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Existing pre-deployment testing techniques, tools, and methodologies do not assure complete analysis, execution and testing of all possible behaviors of the software. This causes the software to sometimes behave differently than what it was designed for during its post-deployment. Such a deviation in the system's behavior, also termed as "Software Anomaly," is mostly due to external attacks such as Path Traversal Attacks, SQL Injection Attacks, etc., that in turn affect confidential user information stored in the application. In this paper, we present and evaluate a framework called Runtime Monitoring Framework to handle union query based SQL Injection Attacks.