cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hurricane Mitch, Alemán, and Other Disasters for Women in Nicaragua

Hurricane Mitch caused unprecedented destruction when it swept through Nicaragua and Honduras in October 1998. Official reports estimated that 3,332 were reported killed or missing and an estimated $1.5 billion damages were caused in Nicaragua alone. Though Mitch did not cause Nicaragua’s impoverishment, the severity of its destruction revealed a deeper crisis that has been troubling Nicaragua’s economy for over a decade—an economic crisis aggravated by heavy external debts and structural adjustment policies. Using feminist analysis, the case of Nicaragua is explored to consider the effects of natural disasters from a global perspective and to rethink the long‐term merits of structural adjustment and foreign aid.
Therapeutic transdifferentiation: a novel approach for vascular disease.

Emerging evidence indicates that overexpression of a few master regulators can dramatically alter cell type (transdifferentiation), in a process called direct reprogramming. The recent reprogramming of human fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells (ECs) augurs a new era in cardiovascular medicine by increasing the feasibility of cardiovascular regenerative therapy. In a recent seminal article, Margariti et al1 described their success in reprogramming human fibroblasts into ECs. These induced ECs had all of the phenotypic characteristics of genuine ECs. They stained for endothelial markers such as CD31, vascular endothelial cadherin, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and von Willebrand factor. Moreover, they exhibited endothelial behaviors such as network formation in Matrigel and capillary formation in vivo. Furthermore, injection of these cells into the ischemic murine hindlimb improved perfusion, in association with an increase in capillary density. Finally, the cells were capable of contributing to re-endothelialization in tissue-engineered vessels. An important precedent for their accomplishment is the work of Shinya Yamanaka, who won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Dr Yamanaka discovered that the forced expression of 4 master regulators (the genes encoding the transcriptional factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and cMyc) could generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).2,3 When fibroblasts are transfected by viral vectors or RNA4,5 encoding these genes, a small percentage of the transfected cells will gradually transform (over a period of ≈2–4 weeks) into pluripotent stem cells. These iPSCs are capable of becoming endoderm, ectoderm, or mesoderm, and any of the somatic cell lineages can potentially be derived. The mechanisms by which the master regulators activate the core pluripotency network and induce the genetic and epigenetic changes required for pluripotency are incompletely elucidated and the subject of frenetic activity in the stem cell field. As a result, new insights are occurring with …
Paraoxonase polymorphism and its effect on male reproductive outcomes among Chinese pesticide factory workers

BACKGROUND Serum paraoxonase has been associated with the metabolism of organophosphate pesticides in humans. Molecular analysis of the human paraoxonase gene (PON1) has revealed that Arg192 homozygotes have a greater detoxifying capability than Gln192 homozygotes. We examined the effects of PON1 genotypes on male reproductive outcomes and its interaction with exposure to organophosphate pesticides. METHODS We studied 60 Chinese pesticide-factory workers and 89 textile-factory workers who were unexposed to pesticides. The respective allele frequencies of Arg192 and Gln192 were 0.62 and 0.38. Pesticide exposure among 36 exposed subjects and 12 unexposed subjects, regardless of gender, was assessed by personal measurement of pesticide residues over an entire 8-hr shift and measurement of urinary p-nitrophenol level over a 24-hr period. We analyzed semen and hormone data collected from male subjects. RESULTS When the three PON1 genotypes were analyzed separately, a gene dose effect was not detected. We used the unexposed Arg192 homo/heterozygotes as the reference group, and re-analyzed the data. Exposed Arg192 homo/heterozygotes had significantly lower sperm count (chi 2 = 9.01, P < 0.01) and lower percentage of sperm with normal morphology (chi 2 = 4.18, P < 0.05) than the reference group. Both unexposed Gln192 homozygotes (chi 2 = 4.90, P < 0.05) and exposed Arg192 homo/heterozygotes (chi 2 = 10.00, P < 0.01) showed significantly lower sperm concentrations than the reference group. In addition, exposed Arg192 homo/heterozygotes had significantly higher serum LH levels (chi 2 = 7.94, P < 0.01) than the reference group. CONCLUSIONS Because of a small sample size, our findings are highly preliminary. Nevertheless, it calls for further investigation of the interaction between the PON1 genotype and organophosphate pesticide exposure on male reproductive outcomes.
Foundations of a mathematical theory of darwinism

This paper pursues the ‘formal darwinism’ project of Grafen, whose aim is to construct formal links between dynamics of gene frequencies and optimization programmes, in very abstract settings with general implications for biologically relevant situations. A major outcome is the definition, within wide assumptions, of the ubiquitous but problematic concept of ‘fitness’. This paper is the first to present the project for mathematicians. Within the framework of overlapping generations in discrete time and no social interactions, the current model shows links between fitness maximization and gene frequency change in a class-structured population, with individual-level uncertainty but no uncertainty in the class projection operator, where individuals are permitted to observe and condition their behaviour on arbitrary parts of the uncertainty. The results hold with arbitrary numbers of loci and alleles, arbitrary dominance and epistasis, and make no assumptions about linkage, linkage disequilibrium or mating system. An explicit derivation is given of Fisher’s Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection in its full generality.
Modeling Multiple Failure Time Data: A Survey of Variance–Corrected Proportional Hazards Models with Empirical Applications to Arrest Data

Proportional hazards models are powerful methods for the analysis of dynamic social processes and are widely used in sociology to estimate the effects of covariates on event timing (e.g., time to arrest, birth, marriage). The proper statistical modeling of failure time data is an important analytical issue in sociology, but to date the field has largely neglected the application of these models to multiple failure time data in which the conventional assumption of the independence of failure times is not tenable. This paper critically describes a class of models known as variance-corrected proportional hazards models that have been developed by statisticians to take into account a lack of independence among failure times. The purpose is to provide an exposition and comparison for sociologists of several such models and associated methods for handling multiple failure time data that can be readily estimated in commonly available statistical software packages. We pay special attention to the data requirement...
Preliminary System Characterization of Flat Panel Detector-based Cone Beam CT for Breast Imaging

Conventional film-screen mammography is the most effective tool for the early detection of breast cancer currently available. However, conventional mammography has relatively low sensitivity to detect small breast cancers (under several millimeters) owing to an overlap in the appearances of benign and malignant lesions, and surrounding structure. The limitations accompanying conventional mammography is to be addressed by incorporating a cone beam CT imaging technique with a recently developed flat panel detector. Computer simulation and preliminary studies have been performed to prove the feasibility of developing a flat panel detector-based cone beam CT breast imaging (FPD-CBCTBI) technique. A preliminary system characterization study of flat panel detector-based cone beam CT for breast imaging was performed to confirm the findings in the computer simulation and previous phantom studies using the current prototype cone beam CT scanner. The results indicate that the CBCTBI technique effectively removes structure overlap and significantly improves the detectability of small breast tumors. More importantly, the results also demonstrate CBCTBI offers good image quality with the radiation dose level less than or equal to that of conventional mammography. The results from this study suggest that FPD-CBCTBI is a potentially powerful breast-imaging tool.
Quantum cascade lasers ready for IRCM applications

After nearly two decades' development, the quantum cascade laser (QCL) has emerged from a cryogenically cooled micro-watt emitter to room temperature continuous wave laser source with watt-level output powers. The recent breakthroughs in the wall plug efficiency (WPE) of InP based mid-IR QCLs draws significant interest for IRCM applications toward lower cost, weight, and overall power consumption of the system. Recent research highlight of high power QCLs is presented, including power levels, beam quality, and reliability.
Induction of bitter pit in apple

Abstract A field study was conducted to induce bitter pit in cultivar ‘Sundale Spur Golden Delicious’ (Malus domestica Borkh.) apple. Fruiting spurs were sprayed with 1% (w/v) CaCl2 and 1% (w/v) MgCl2 every 10 days, beginning 5 days after full bloom, and/or shaded with brown paper bags. The effect of MgCl2 spray and bag + MgCl2 treatments on the fruiting spurs was increased bitter pit incidence, decreased fruit calcium, increased fruit magnesium and potassium, and decreased number of fruit per spur. Bagging the fruit resulted in a 4-fold increase in bitter pit incidence, and a significant reduction in fruit calcium content and fruit weight over the control. In contrast, CaCl2 spray slightly reduced bitter pit, increased fruit calcium, reduced fruit magnesium and increased the number of fruit per spur. The incidence of bitter pit ranged from 8% (CaCl2 spray alone) to 88% (bag + MgCl2). Overall, the combinations of bagging and cation sprays induced a wide range of bitter pit incidence in apple fruit which can be reliably used for future study of the disorder.
Discovery and Implications of C2 and C3 Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonates in Aqueous Film-Forming Foams and Groundwater

Historically, 3M aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) were released at U.S. military and civilian sites to extinguish hydrocarbon-based fuel fires. To date, only C4–C10 homologues of the perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) are documented in 3M AFFFs. Perfluoroethanesulfonate (PFEtS) and perfluoropropanesulfonate (PFPrS), two ultra-short-chain PFSAs, were discovered by liquid chromatography (LC) quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Once they were identified, PFEtS and PFPrS were then quantified in five 3M AFFFs and in one groundwater sample from each of 11 U.S. military bases by LC tandem mass spectrometry. Concentrations of PFEtS and PFPrS in the five AFFFs ranged from 7 to 13 mg/L and from 120 to 270 mg/L, respectively. For the groundwater, PFEtS was quantified in 8 of the 11 samples (11–7500 ng/L) and PFPrS in all samples (19–63000 ng/L). The high water solubility, mobility, and detection frequency of these ultra-short-chain PFSAs indicate that groundwater contaminant plumes may be larger than p...
Primordial magnetic fields from cosmological first order phase transitions

We give an improved estimate of primordial magnetic fields generated during cosmological first order phase transitions. We examine the charge distribution at the nucleated bubble wall and its dynamics. We consider instabilities on the bubble walls developing during the phase transition. It is found that damping of these instabilities due to viscosity and heat conductivity caused by particle diffusion can be important in the QCD phase transition, but is probably negligible in the electroweak transition. We show how such instabilities together with the surface charge densities on bubble walls excite magnetic fields within a certain range of wavelengths. We discuss how these magnetic seed fields may be amplified by magneto hydrodynamics effects in the turbulent fluid. The strength and spectrum of the primordial magnetic field at the present time for the cases where this mechanism was operative during the electroweak or the QCD phase transition are estimated. On a 10 Mpc comoving scale, field strengths of the order ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}29}$ G for electroweak and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}$ G for QCD, could be attained for reasonable phase transition parameters.
Estimates of HZE particle contributions to SPE radiation exposures on interplanetary missions.

Estimates of radiation doses resulting from possible HZE (high energy heavy ion) components of Solar Particle Events (SPEs) are presented for crews of manned interplanetary missions. The calculations assume a model spectrum obtained by folding measured solar flare HZE particle abundances with the measured energy spectra of SPE alpha particles. These hypothetical spectra are then transported through aluminum spacecraft shielding. The results, presented as estimates of absorbed dose and dose equivalent, indicate that HZE components by themselves are not a major concern for crew protection but should be included in any overall risk assessment. The predictions are found to be sensitive to the assumed spectral hardness parameters.
Effect of tadalafil on cytochrome P450 3A4-mediated clearance: studies in vitro and in vivo.

Objectives Tadalafil was examined in vitro and in vivo for its ability to affect human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A-mediated metabolism. Methods Reversible and mechanism-based inhibition of CYP3A by tadalafil was examined in human liver microsomes. The ability of tadalafil to influence CYP3A activity was also examined in primary cultures of human hepatocytes. The effect of tadalafil on the pharmacokinetics of CYP3A probe substrates was evaluated in human volunteers before and after coadministration with either a single dose or multiple doses of tadalafil (10 or 20 mg). Results Negligible competitive inhibition of CYP3A was observed in vitro. Mechanism-based inhibition of CYP3A was detected, albeit with a low potency. In human hepatocytes, exposure to 1 μmol/L or greater of tadalafil resulted in increased CYP3A protein expression; however, as with a combined effect of induction and inhibition, a corresponding increase in CYP3A activity did not occur. The clinical pharmacokinetics of midazolam and lovastatin, probe substrates of CYP3A, were unaffected by up to 14 days of tadalafil administration (90% confidence intervals for the ratio of least squares means for the pharmacokinetic parameters of tadalafil were contained within the no-effect boundaries of 0.7 to 1.43). Conclusions In vitro results suggested that tadalafil would have little effect on the pharmacokinetics of drugs metabolized by CYP3A. Clinical studies demonstrated that the pharmacokinetics of 2 different CYP3A substrates, midazolam and lovastatin, were virtually unchanged after tadalafil coadministration. Thus therapeutic concentrations of tadalafil do not produce clinically significant changes in the clearance of drugs metabolized by CYP3A. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, 63–75; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.09.006
Induction of apoptosis and immune response by all-trans retinoic acid plus interferon-gamma in human malignant glioblastoma T98G and U87MG cells

Glioblastoma is the most common and highly malignant brain tumor. It is also one among the most therapy-resistant human neoplasias. Patients die within a year of diagnosis despite the use of available treatment strategies such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Thus, there is a critical need to find a novel therapeutic strategy for treating this disease. Here, we have investigated the molecular mechanisms for induction of apoptosis as well as for activation of immune components in human malignant glioblastoma T98G and U87MG cells following treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Treatment of glioblastoma cells with ATRA alone prevented cell proliferation and induced astrocytic differentiation, while IFN-γ alone induced apoptosis and modulated expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules such as HLA-DRα, HLA-DR complex, invariant chain (Ii), HLA-DM (an important catalyst of the class II-peptide loading), and gamma interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol-reductase (GILT). Interestingly, both T98G and U87MG cells showed more increase in apoptosis with expression of the HLA class II components for an effective immune response following treatment with ATRA plus IFN-γ than with IFN-γ alone. Apoptotic mode of cell death was confirmed morphologically by Wright staining and biochemically by measuring an increase in caspase-3 activity. While conversion of tumor cells into HLA class II+/Ii- cells by stimulation with the helper CD4+ T cells is thought to be challenging, this study reports for the first time that treatment of glioblastoma cells with ATRA plus IFN-γ can simultaneously enhance apoptosis and expression of the HLA class II immune components with a marked suppression of Ii expression. Taken together, this study suggests that induction of apoptosis and immune components of the HLA class II pathway by ATRA plus IFN-γ may be a promising chemoimmunotherapeutic strategy for treatment of human malignant glioblastoma.
Communication With Older Adults The Influence of Age Stereotypes, Context, and Communicator Age

Forty young, 40 middle-aged, and 40 older adults rated their beliefs about the vocal style that they would use in addressing two older targets-one fitting a negative (Despondent) and one a positive (Golden Ager) stereotype. Participants also gave oral messages to the two targets in either a hospital or community context. Supporting a stereotype-sensitive model of the communication and aging process, participants' beliefs and messages revealed a greater tendency to use patronizing talk with the Despondent target than with the Golden Ager. In addition, the extent and type of patronizing talk (overly nurturing or directive) to the targets was affected by the context in which the target was presented and the age of the communicator. In particular, the number of directive/patronizing messages to Golden Ager targets increased significantly in the hospital context. Finally, older participants were less likely to give patronizing messages to all targets than were younger participants.
Successful use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in severe necrotizing pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Objective To report the successful use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as rescue therapy for severe necrotizing pneumonia secondary to infection by the Staphylococcus aureus species. Design Case series. Setting Pediatric intensive care unit at a freestanding tertiary care children's hospital. Patients Two pediatric patients with severe S. aureus-induced necrotizing pneumonia requiring rescue with ECMO. Both patients survived with good neurologic outcomes. One patient required the use of activated factor VII for severe bleeding while on ECMO, with no thrombotic effect on the ECMO circuit. Conclusion ECMO as rescue support should be considered in a timely fashion for refractory hypoxemic respiratory failure resulting from S. aureus pneumonia, including patients with necrotizing pneumonia. Use of ECMO support in such cases, coupled with aggressive measures aimed at minimizing bleeding, such as the use of activated factor VII, may result in excellent short- and long-term outcomes for such patients.
Everything Is Permitted? People Intuitively Judge Immorality as Representative of Atheists

Scientific research yields inconsistent and contradictory evidence relating religion to moral judgments and outcomes, yet most people on earth nonetheless view belief in God (or gods) as central to morality, and many view atheists with suspicion and scorn. To evaluate intuitions regarding a causal link between religion and morality, this paper tested intuitive moral judgments of atheists and other groups. Across five experiments (N = 1,152), American participants intuitively judged a wide variety of immoral acts (e.g., serial murder, consensual incest, necrobestiality, cannibalism) as representative of atheists, but not of eleven other religious, ethnic, and cultural groups. Even atheist participants judged immoral acts as more representative of atheists than of other groups. These findings demonstrate a prevalent intuition that belief in God serves a necessary function in inhibiting immoral conduct, and may help explain persistent negative perceptions of atheists.
Sexual dysfunction associated with mesoridazine besylate (serentil).

Sexual dysfunction in the form of a disorder of ejaculatory mechanisms but without interference with erection and orgasm is described in a 30 year old man receiving Mesoridazine Besylate (Serentil) a phenothiazine closely related to thioridazine (Mellaril).
Software segmented virtual memory

The techniques of paged virtual memory, commonly employed only in large operating systems, can be provided at the software level by a small collection of primitive procedures. This paper defines the primitives and their implementation. The techniques of applying software virtual memory are also discussed, and these techniques are useful for compilers, database systems, and other applications in which large amounts of random access memory are required. Other benefits of using software virtual memory are transportability, modularity in program design, implementation on mini and microcomputers, and improved speed performance over alternative approaches.
Detecting Information Flows: Improving Chaff Tolerance by Joint Detection

The problem of detecting encrypted information flows using timing information is considered. An information flow consists of both information-carrying packets and irrelevant packets called chaff. A relay node can perturb the timing of information-carrying packets as well as adding or removing chaff packets. The goal is to detect whether there is an information flow through certain nodes of interest by analyzing the transmission times of these nodes. Under the assumption that the relay of information-carrying packets is subject to a bounded delay constraint, fundamental limits on detection are characterized as the minimum amount of chaff needed for an information flow to mimic independent traffic. A detector based on the optimal chaff-inserting algorithms is proposed. The detector guarantees detection in the presence of an amount of chaff proportional to the total traffic size; furthermore, the proportion increases to 100% exponentially fast as the number of hops on the flow path increases.
An Airborne Photographic Instrumentation System For Photometric Observation of the Total Solar Eclipse of November 12, 1966

This report gives a general description of a photographic instrumentation system designed, built, and operated by Sandia Corporation for photometric observation of selected wavelengths of corona of the total solar eclipse which occurred November 12, 1966. This system was operated aboard a USAF C-135 aircraft flying with the moon's shadow to enhance the chances of optimum observation of the event and was automatically tracked to overcome the instabilities inherent in an airborne platform. The automatic tracking device was a closed-loop, hydraulically actuated servo system with an electro-optic means of error detection. The photographic part of this system consisted of nine cameras of which six operated in the visible spectrum and three operated in the ultraviolet spectrum. In addition to providing photometric data on four individual wavelengths of these two spectra, the cameras obtained polarization data on two of these wavelengths, recorded the performance of the automatic tracker, and obtained documentary event type photographs.© (1967) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Inactivation of avian progesterone receptor binding to ATP-Sepharose by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate.

The affinity of progesterone receptor from hen oviduct for ATP-Sepharose was diminished by preincubation with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. This effect was specific for pyridoxal 5′-phosphate since the related compounds, pyridoxal, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine and pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate, were not effectors. The inactivation was easily reversed by the addition of the primary amine, Tris. However, in the presence of the reducing agent NaBH4, the inhibitory effect of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate was irreversible. The results suggest that pyridoxal 5′-phosphate forms a Schiff base with a critical amino group, presumably at the nucleotide binding site of the progesterone receptor.
Septic Anaerobic Jugular Phlebitis with Pulmonary Embolism: Problems in Management

Anaerobic gram-negative bacillary bacteremia and multiple septic pulmonary emboli developed rapidly in two previously healthy young men after an episode of pharyngitis. One patient developed proptosis and subsequent uniocular blindness. In both cases facial swelling was an early sign of jugular vein involvement. In patients not responding to antibiotic therapy, systemic anticoagulation or surgical venous ligation may be potentially useful as an additional therapeutic measure. Septic jugular vein phlebitis is a serious condition that requires early recognition and rapid institution of appropriate therapy.
vic: a flexible framework for packet video

The deployment of IP Multicast has fostered the development of a suite of applications, collectively known as the MBone tools, for real-time multimedia conferencing over the Internet. Two of these tools — nv from Xerox PARC and ivs from INRIA — provide video transmission using software-based codecs. We describe a new video tool, vic , that extends the groundbreaking work of nv and ivs with a more flexible system architecture. This flexibility is characterized by network layer independence, support for hardware-based codecs, a conference coordination model, an extensible user interface, and support for diverse compression algorithms. We also propose a novel compression scheme called “Intra-H.261”. Created as a hybrid of the nv and ivs codecs, Intra-H.261 provides a factor of 2–3 improvement in compression gain over the nv encoder (6 dB of PSNR) as well as a substantial improvement in run-time performance over the ivs H.261 coder.
IL-3 withdrawal activates a CrmA-insensitive poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage enzyme in factor-dependent myeloid progenitor cells

Murine myeloid progenitor cells that are dependent on interleukin-3 (IL-3) undergo apoptosis when this essential cytokine is withdrawn. To determine whether IL-3 withdrawal leads to the activation of caspase proteases, known mediators of apoptosis, we studied proteolytic cleavage of the caspase substrate protein poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in two IL3-dependent myeloid progenitor cell lines, 32D and FDCP-1. We observed that IL-3 withdrawal leads to PARP cleavage in both cell lines, with complete cleavage occurring by 24 h after cytokine removal. The induced PARP cleavage activities were blocked by the caspase inhibitors z-DEVD-fluoromethyl ketone (z-DEVD-FMK) and z-VAD-fluoromethyl ketone (z-VAD-FMK), or by overexpression in 32D cells of Bcl-2 or BCR/ABL. By contrast, overexpression in 32D cells of cowpox virus CrmA protein, an inhibitor of Fas-mediated PARP cleavage, failed to inhibit PARP cleavage following IL-3 withdrawal. CrmA also failed to block DNA fragmentation and loss of cell viability. We propose that a CrmA-insensitive caspase protease is activated in the IL-3-deprived myeloid precursors, and that activation of this protease may direct the cells on a path towards commitment to death.
Mortality dynamics of Daphnia in contrasting habitats and their role in ecological divergence

Summary 1. The Daphnia pulex-pulicaria species complex has been proposed as an example of rapid ecological speciation, associated with divergence along the gradient of waterbody size from temporary ponds to deep, stratified lakes. However, this divergence is incomplete, and thus represents an opportunity to study ecological divergence as it is occurring. 2. Dynamics of twelve populations of Daphnia in the pulex-pulicaria species complex were monitored over 1 year. Six temporary pond populations and six permanent lake populations were compared to evaluate demographic differences that may contribute to ecological divergence in this complex. 3. Pond populations experienced greater changes in density, which were reflected in more extreme growth rates, higher birth rates and higher mortality rates than those of lake populations. 4. Mitochondrial DNA was isolated from up to three clones from each population, the D-loop of the control region was sequenced, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. This tree revealed two strongly supported clades. The clades were not congruent with habitat type and nominal status, indicating that interhabitat gene flow occurs easily and that the nominal taxa are incompletely diverged. 5. Published reports of genetic life history differences in the D. pulex-pulicaria complex are consistent with the demographic differences reported here. This suggests that ecological differences between the habitats are selectively maintaining trait differences despite the possibility for genetic exchange. Thus, these taxa may be at the inception of ecological speciation.
Image quality in two phosphor-based flat panel digital radiographic detectors

Two general types of phosphor screens are currently used in indirect digital radiographicsystems: structured phosphor screens and turbid phosphor screens. The purpose of the study was to experimentally compare the image quality characteristics of two flat-panel digital radiographydetectors with similar electronics and pixel sizes (0.127 mm), but otherwise equipped with the two types of screens (0.6-mm-thick structured CsI and Lanex Regular). The presampled modulation transfer functions(MTFs) of the detectors were assessed using an edge method. The noise power spectra (NPS) were measured by two-dimensional Fourier analysis of uniformly-exposed radiographs at 50–100 kVp with 19 mm added Al filtration. The detective quantum efficiencies (DQEs) were assessed from the MTF, the NPS, and estimates of the ideal signal-to-noise ratio. The MTF measures of the two detectors were generally similar above a spatial frequency of 2 mm−1, with ∼2.5 and ∼3.8 mm−1 spatial frequencies corresponding to 0.2 MTF and 0.1 MTF, respectively. Below 2 mm−1, the MTF for the CsI-based detector was slightly higher by an average of 0.07. At 70 kVp, the measured DQE values in the diagonal (and axial) direction(s) at spatial frequencies of 0.15 mm−1 and 2.5 mm−1 were 78% (78%) and 26% (20%) for the CsI-based detector, and 20% (20%) and 7% (6%) for the Lanex-based detector, respectively. The comparative findings experimentally confirm that in indirect flat-panel detectors, structured phosphor screens provide a more favorable tradeoff between resolution and noise compared to turbid-phosphor screens, effectively increasing the detection efficiency of the detector without a negative impact on the detector’s spatial resolution response.
Genomic Organization and Chromosomal Location of the Human dsRNA Adenosine Deaminase Gene: The Enzyme for Glutamate-activated Ion Channel RNA Editing

Abstract The structure of the human gene encoding the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) adenosine deaminase (DRADA) was characterized. This nuclear localized enzyme is involved in the RNA editing required for the expression of certain subtypes of glutamate-gated ion channel subunits. The DRADA gene span 30 kb pairs and harbors 15 exons. The transcription of the DRADA gene driven by the putative promoter region, which contains no typical TATA or CCAAT box-like sequences, is initiated at multiple sites, 164 to 216 nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation codon. The three dsRNA binding motifs (DRBM), 70 amino acid residues long, are each encoded by two exons plus an intervening sequence that interrupts the motif at the identical amino acid position. This finding is consistent with the notion that the dsRNA binding domains may be composed of two separate functional subdomains. Fluorescent in situ hybridization localized the DRADA gene on the long arm chromosome 1, region q21. The gene structure and sequence information reported in this study will facilitate the investigation of involvement of DRADA in hereditary diseases that may be the result of malfunction of glutamate-gated ion channels.
Clinical Utility of Regadenoson for Assessing Fractional Flow Reserve

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of regadenoson, in comparison with adenosine, for assessing fractional flow reserve (FFR) of intermediate coronary artery stenoses (CAS). Background Fractional flow reserve is an established invasive method for assessing the physiological significance of CAS. Regadenoson, a selective A2A receptor agonist, is an approved hyperemic agent for pharmacological stress imaging, but its role for measuring FFR is unknown. Methods This prospective, single-center study enrolled 25 consecutive patients with intermediate CAS discovered during elective angiography (25 lesions). In each patient, FFR of the CAS was measured first by IV adenosine (140 μg/kg/min), followed by IV regadenoson (400 μg bolus). The intrapatient FFR correlation between adenosine and regadenoson was evaluated. Results The mean age was 63 ± 11 years, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 58 ± 11%. Most patients were male (52%) and had hypertension (84%) and dyslipidemia (84%), with 24% having diabetes mellitus and 20% chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The CAS was visually estimated during angiography (mean 58 ± 9%) and most often found in the left anterior descending coronary artery (48%). A strong, linear correlation of FFR was noted with adenosine and regadenoson (r = 0.985, p Conclusions Our results suggest that a single IV bolus of regadenoson is as effective as an intravenous infusion of adenosine for measuring FFR and, given its ease of use, should be considered for FFR measurement in the catheterization laboratory.
Als een huisarts van een patiënt af wil

Drewes YM, Eekhof JAH. Als een huisarts van een patient af wil. Huisarts Wet 2013;56(6):282-5.
Photoluminescence in sputtered amorphous silicon-hydrogen alloys

Abstract Results of photoluminescence (PL) experiments performed on amorphous silicon-hydrogen alloys prepared by sputtering in a plasma containing hydrogen are presented. A single, featureless peak centred near 1.3 eV and of 0.3 eV f.w.h.m. is observed upon excitation with 2.4 eV light in alloys of hydrogen concentration cH≥5 at.% held at temperatures below 200 K. The PL quantum efficiency and peak energy are increasing functions of ch. A high-temperature decrease in PL is observed, and electric fields of 105 V/cm are found to be sufficient to quench the PL. It is contended that the original argument in the literature concerning the necessity for Stokes shifts of the order of 0.5 eV is wrongly based. From the present data we conclude that radiative recombination in our films may best be viewed in the framework of a rigid-band model with only small perturbations caused by distortional effects of the host matrix. The high-temperature thermal quenching of the PL is analysed in terms of two quenching mechani...
Patterns of Repeat Prostate Biopsy in Contemporary Clinical Practice

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to 1) describe the patterns of repeat prostate biopsy in men with a previous negative biopsy and 2) identify predictors of prostate cancer diagnosis on repeat biopsy in these men.Materials and Methods: From a university faculty group practice we identified 1,837 men who underwent prostate biopsy between January 1, 1995 and January 1, 2010. Characteristics of repeat biopsy were examined, including the indication for biopsy, the number of repeat biopsies performed, the number of cores obtained and total prostate specific antigen before biopsy. Features of prostate cancer diagnosed on repeat biopsy were examined, including Gleason score, number of positive cores, percent of tumor and treatment choice. Multivariable logistic regression was done to identify prostate cancer predictors.Results: Initial biopsy was negative in 1,213 men. In 255 men a total of 798 repeat biopsies were performed. Of the 63 men diagnosed with prostate cancer Gleason score was 6 or less in 33...
A Case of Primary Malignant Mesenchymoma of the Heart

A malignant mesenchymoma is a rare soft tissue neoplasm that show at least two types of malignant mesenchymal differentiation, in addition to poorly differentiated fibrosarcomatous elements. They grow rapidly, recur frequently, and can be found in a wide variety of location, with most occurring in the extremities. A primary malignant mesenchymoma of the heart is extremely rare, with only 20 cases having been reported worldwide in the English literature up to 2002. We experienced a case of primary cardiac malignant mesenchymoma in a 59 year old female patient, who was admitted due to exertional dyspnea. This case is reported, with a review of the relevant literature. (Korean Circulation J 2003;33 (7):625-628)
Indirect effects of domestic and wild herbivores on butterflies in an African savanna

Indirect interactions driven by livestock and wild herbivores are increasingly recognized as important aspects of community dynamics in savannas and rangelands. Large ungulate herbivores can both directly and indirectly impact the reproductive structures of plants, which in turn can affect the pollinators of those plants. We examined how wild herbivores and cattle each indirectly affect the abundance of a common pollinator butterfly taxon, Colotis spp., at a set of long-term, large herbivore exclosure plots in a semiarid savanna in central Kenya. We also examined effects of herbivore exclusion on the main food plant of Colotis spp., which was also the most common flowering species in our plots: the shrub Cadaba farinosa. The study was conducted in four types of experimental plots: cattle-only, wildlife-only, cattle and wildlife (all large herbivores), and no large herbivores. Across all plots, Colotis spp. abundances were positively correlated with both Cadaba flower numbers (adult food resources) and total Cadaba canopy area (larval food resources). Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that floral resources drove the abundance of Colotis butterflies. Excluding browsing wildlife increased the abundances of both Cadaba flowers and Colotis butterflies. However, flower numbers and Colotis spp. abundances were greater in plots with cattle herbivory than in plots that excluded all large herbivores. Our results suggest that wild browsing herbivores can suppress pollinator species whereas well-managed cattle use may benefit important pollinators and the plants that depend on them. This study documents a novel set of ecological interactions that demonstrate how both conservation and livelihood goals can be met in a working landscape with abundant wildlife and livestock.
Effect of dietary phospholipid on essential fatty acid requirements and tissue lipid composition of Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles

Abstract A 6-week study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary phospholipids (PL) on essential fatty acid requirements of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei and their potential interaction. A 3×3 factorial experiment was carried out with increasing levels of soybean lecithin as the dietary PL (0%, 1.5% or 3% of diet). Three dietary levels (0%, 0.25% or 0.5% of diet) of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n −3, DHA), or an n −3 highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) mixture containing 416 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/g and 237 mg DHA/g were tested. No significant interactions between the effects of PL and DHA or n −3 HUFA on growth were detected under these experimental conditions; however, instantaneous growth rate (IGR) of shrimp was enhanced by addition of either DHA or n −3 HUFA at 0.25% of diet. A higher dietary inclusion level (0.5% of diet) did not further improve growth, and appeared to have a detrimental effect on survival of shrimp. Also, an inclusion level of 3% dietary PL significantly improved IGR of shrimp, and did not show a significant effect on survival. PL supplementation did not consistently increase the proportion of phosphatidylcholine or other PL in shrimp muscle. The proportion of linoleic acid decreased as dietary DHA or n −3 HUFA increased. Thus, these results corroborate the beneficial effects of dietary PL on growth of shrimp, as well as their requirement for DHA and n −3 HUFA to achieve maximum growth.
Imaging modalities for acute abdominal pain.

The diagnosis of acute abdominal pain remains hinged on the performance of a careful history and physical exam. Five to ten million emergency department visits occur each year for acute abdominal pain, creating a need to achieve improved diagnostic accuracy in an expedient fashion. Technologies such as ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and diagnostic laparoscopy are helping achieve this goal. Of these, computed tomography appears to be the work horse of diagnostic imaging in the setting of acute abdominal pain. In this review, we examine each of these modalities, discussing their strengths and weaknesses. As well, we have reproduced an excellent algorithmic approach published by Martin and Rossi that shows the reader some basic diagnostic strategies for the evaluation of acute abdominal pain.
Further observations on the nemesis concept

Further observations are presented on the descriptive psychiatry, course, prognosis and psychopathology of the nemesis feeling, a conviction or fear by a patient that he is destined to follow a life pattern identical to that of one of his parents, and that in the end he will suffer an untimely death or incapacitating illness similar to that suffered by his parent. The nemesis fear is rooted in the patient's profound feelings of guilt over the parent's death or long-term illness, which occurred during the patient's childhood, and for which the patient feels in some way responsible. The presenting symptoms may be phobic, anxious, obsessive or psychosomatic, but the underlying psychopathologic process with which therapy must deal is the nemesis concept.
High-Throughput Luciferase Reporter Assay for Small-Molecule Inhibitors of MicroRNA Function

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs of 21 to 23 nucleotides that regulate gene expression, typically by binding the 3' untranslated regions of target messenger RNAs. It is estimated that miRNAs are involved in the regulation of 30% of all genes and almost every genetic pathway. Recently, the misregulation of miRNAs has been linked to various human diseases including cancer and viral infections, identifying miRNAs as potential targets for drug discovery. Thus, small-molecule modifiers of miRNAs could serve as lead structures for the development of new therapeutic agents and be useful tools in the elucidation of detailed mechanisms of miRNA function. As a result, we have developed a high-throughput screen for potential small-molecule regulators of the liver-specific microRNA miR-122, which is involved in hepatocellular carcinoma development and hepatitis C virus infection. Our small-molecule screen employs a Huh7 human hepatoma cell line stably transfected with a Renilla luciferase sensor for endogenous miR-122. The assay was optimized and validated using an miR-122 antisense agent and a previously identified small-molecule miR-122 inhibitor. The described reporter assay will enable the high-throughput screening of small-molecule miR-122 inhibitors and can be readily extended to other miRNAs.
Cell Permeant Peptide Analogues of the Small Heat Shock Protein, HSP20, Reduce TGF-β1-Induced CTGF Expression in Keloid Fibroblasts

A growing body of evidence suggests the involvement of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the development and maintenance of fibrosis and excessive scarring. As the expression of this protein requires an intact actin cytoskeleton, disruption of the cytoskeleton represents an attractive strategy to decrease CTGF expression and, consequently, excessive scarring. The small heat-shock-related protein (HSP20), when phosphorylated by cyclic nucleotide signaling cascades, displaces phospho-cofilin from the 14-3-3 scaffolding protein leading to activation of cofilin as an actin-depolymerizing protein. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of AZX100, a phosphopeptide analogue of HSP20, on transforming growth factor-β-1 (TGF-β1)-induced CTGF and collagen expression in human keloid fibroblasts. We also examined the effect of AZX100 on scar formation in vivo in dermal wounds in a Siberian hamster model. AZX100 decreased the expression of CTGF and type I collagen induced by TGF-β1, endothelin, and lysophosphatidic acid. Treatment with AZX100 decreased stress fiber formation and altered the morphology of human dermal keloid fibroblasts. In vivo, AZX100 significantly improved collagen organization in a Siberian hamster scarring model. Taken together, these results suggest the potential use of AZX100 as a strategy to prevent excessive scarring and fibrotic disorders.
Applying systems analysis in managing the water environment: towards a new agenda

The methods of systems analysis - principally, mathematical modelling, simulation, and optimisation - have been widely applied to solving problems in managing the water environment for over three decades. These foundations of the subject remain just as relevant today as hitherto. The problems to which they might be applied, however, or the context in which they might be applied, seem to have changed in ways that could genuinely be described as “radical”. In this survey stock is taken of these changes in perspective, especially over the past ten years: in the emergence of stakeholder participation, environmental ethics, life-cycle analysis, sustainability, industrial ecology, and design for ecological (as opposed to engineering) resilience. Whether the application of systems analysis will require a new approach or new methods with which to address these new issues, is thus open to question. For there are undoubtedly limits of method now discernible, even in respect of the more conventional problems of applying systems analysis to managing water quality. For example, we shall be obliged to acknowledge that, were we to encode all our currently available hypothetical knowledge into a model, this would not be verifiable in the conventional, rigorous sense. Similarly, in spite of a wealth of apparently ever more powerful mathematical formulations of the problem of optimisation, heuristics and intuition must still be called upon to reach even good solutions, reasonably close to where the optimum is thought to lie. Circumventing such methodological difficulties, while yet absorbing the changing currents in outlook on the man-environment relationship, is where candidate tasks for the “new agenda” of the next few years might be found. This paper presents some personal observations on a handful of such candidate tasks.