cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secondary carina Y-stent placement for post-lung-transplant bronchial stenosis

Background: Post–lung-transplant bronchial stenosis (TBS) may cause significant morbidity and mortality. Although often transiently relieved by balloon bronchoplasty, stents may be required for long-term airway patency. We report a series of lung transplant patients in whom a silicone Y-stent was placed at the secondary carina for long-standing relief of post–transplant-airway stenosis. Methods: Six lung transplant patients received 10 silicone Y-stents in the secondary carina over the past 18 months for post–transplant-bronchial stenosis. All patients failed other interventional therapeutic procedures including balloon bronchoplasty and/or conventional stenting before secondary carina Y-stent placement. Patient data include 12 months’ follow-up after Y-stent insertion. The number of procedures and the interval between procedures was examined before and after secondary carina silicone Y-stent placement. Results: There was a significantly prolonged therapeutic effect accomplished in these patients after secondary carina Y-stent placement with the exception of 1 patient. When stents were tolerated by the patient, the mean number of procedures before secondary carina Y-stent insertion was 15.6, but only 4.8 after Y-stent insertion. The number of days between procedures was 24.5 days before the Y-stent insertion and 85.8 days after the Y-stent insertion. There were no complications in any patient during secondary carina Y-stent insertion. Conclusions: Secondary carina silicone Y-stent placement in TBS decreased the number of therapeutic procedures and provided longer-lasting results in most posttransplant patients who required multiple prior procedures for TBS.
DELAYED LUMINESCENCE OF ORGANIC MIXED CRYSTALS — IX. AMINO ACIDS AND PROTEINS*

— This paper discusses the possibility of triplet exciton motion and triplet-triplet annihilation in mixed crystal systems in which the hosts are phenylalanine, tyrosine and trypto-phan and in four protein systems. Triplet-triplet annihilation and triplet transfer are observed in certain phenylalanine- and tryptophan-host systems. No evidence of either triplet transfer or energy multiplication is found in tyrosine-host crystal systems or in any protein system.
Crosstalk between sumoylation and acetylation regulates p53-dependent chromatin transcription and DNA binding

Covalent modification by small ubiquitin-related modifiers (SUMO) regulates p53 transcription activity through an undefined mechanism. Using reconstituted sumoylation components, we purified SUMO-1-conjugated p53 (Su-p53) to near homogeneity. Su-p53 exists in solution as a tetramer and interacts with p300 histone acetyltransferase as efficiently as the unmodified protein. Nevertheless, it fails to activate p53-dependent chromatin transcription because of its inability to bind DNA. With sequential modification assays, we found that sumoylation of p53 at K386 blocks subsequent acetylation by p300, whereas p300-acetylated p53 remains permissive for ensuing sumoylation at K386 and alleviates sumoylation-inhibited DNA binding. While preventing the free form of p53 from accessing its cognate sites, sumoylation fails to disengage prebound p53 from DNA. The sumoylation-deficient K386R protein, when expressed in p53-null cells, exhibits higher transcription activity and binds better to the endogenous p21 gene compared with the wild-type protein. These studies unravel a molecular mechanism underlying sumoylation-regulated p53 function and further uncover a new role of acetylation in antagonizing the inhibitory effect of sumoylation on p53 binding to DNA.
Diagnosis of path delay faults based on low-coverage tests

Fault diagnosis processes consider the fact that a circuit fails a test as carrying more information than if the circuit passes a test. As a result, tests that detect smaller numbers of faults are likely to result in more accurate fault diagnosis. We study the existence of low-coverage tests, which detect small numbers of faults, for stuck-at faults, transition faults and path delay faults. The study shows that such tests are prevalent for path delay faults. We discuss the use of low-coverage tests for diagnosis of path delay faults, and describe a procedure for generating low-coverage tests for path delay faults.
Metabolic Syndrome and Risk of Cancer Mortality in Men

Abstract Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been linked with an increased risk of developing cancer; however, the association between MetS and cancer mortality remains less clear. Little research has focused on pre-cancer risk factors that may affect the outcome of treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between MetS and all-cancer mortality in men. Methods The participants included 33,230 men aged 20–88 years who were enrolled in the Aerobics Centre Longitudinal Study and who were free of known cancer at the baseline. Results At baseline 28% of all the participants had MetS. During an average of 14 years follow-up, there were a total of 685 deaths due to cancer. MetS at baseline was associated with a 56% greater age-adjusted risk in cancer mortality. Conclusion These data show that MetS is associated with an increased risk of all-cause cancer mortality in men. Based on these findings, it is evident that successful interventions should be identified to attenuate the negative effects of MetS.
Pharmacologic downregulation of c‐FLIPL restores juxtacrine death receptor‐mediated apoptosis in cancer cells in a peritoneal carcinomatosis model

Metastasis occurs when circulating cancer cells implant in normal secondary tissues. Paradoxically, many cancer cells express death receptors while many normal tissues express the cognate death receptor ligands, suggesting that cancer cells possess mechanisms to inhibit death receptor signaling. Pharmacological restoration of juxtacrine-mediated death receptor signaling could prevent cancer cells from implanting in normal tissues such as the peritoneum. The results showed that BAY 11-7085 significantly inhibited peritoneal carcinomatosis in mice following the introduction of colon and pancreatic cancer cell lines into the intra-abdominal cavity. Treatment with BAY 11-7085 restored juxtacrine death receptor signaling during the adhesion of the cancer cells to mesothelial cells, which line the peritoneum. BAY 11-7085 rapidly inhibited c-FLIPL expression in colon and pancreatic cancer cell lines during adhesion to mesothelial cells. Pancreatic cancer cells sorted for high c-FLIPL expression formed peritoneal implants much more readily than cells with low c-FLIPL expression, and RNAi inhibition of c-FLIPL in colon cancer cells dramatically reduced peritoneal implantation. This is a novel demonstration that the restoration of death receptor-mediated apoptotic signaling in cancer cells through the pharmacological inhibition of c-FLIPL can inhibit tumor implantation in a clinically relevant model of peritoneal carcinomatosis, a fatal disease. Pharmacological inhibitors of FLIP hold promise as a way to curtail cancer cell colonization of secondary tissues.
Long-term results of endocardial resection for sustained ventricular tachycardia in coronary disease patients.

Abstract Sixty patients with recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) refractory to medical therapy underwent subendocardial resection. There were 52 men and 8 women, ranging in age from 39 to 74 years, all of whom had coronary disease. Each patient had had a prior infarction 1 week to 11 years prior to surgery and 52 had left ventricular aneurysms. The mean ejection fraction was 27%. All 60 patients underwent endocardial resection with or without aneurysmectomy guided by intraoperative and/or catheter endocardial mapping. Thirty-seven endocardial resections were from the interventricular septum, 14 from the interoposterior free wall, and 16 were from the enteroapical or anterolateral free wall. There were five (8%) surgical deaths. The 55 survivors underwent programmed stimulation in the control state 28 days following the operation. VT was not inducible in 42 patients (group A) and was inducible in 13 patients (group B). The group B patients underwent drug testing and were discharged on the antiarrhythmic agent that made the VT noninducible or more difficult to induce. There have been only four recurrences of sustained VT with a follow-up of 19 ± 11 months. There have also been nine late nonarrhythmic deaths. The actuarial survival curve predicted 62% survival at 40 months. We conclude that activation guided endocardial resection provides long-term effective therapy for drug-resistant ventricular tachycardia.
Microcystic macular edema detection in retina OCT images

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a powerful imaging tool that is particularly useful for exploring retinal abnormalities in ophthalmological diseases. Recently, it has been used to track changes in the eye associated with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) where certain tissue layer thicknesses have been associated with disease progression. A small percentage of MS patients also exhibit what has been called microcystic macular edema (MME), where uid collections that are thought to be pseudocysts appear in the inner nuclear layer. Very little is known about the cause of this condition so it is important to be able to identify precisely where these pseudocysts occur within the retina. This identi cation would be an important rst step towards furthering our understanding. In this work, we present a detection algorithm to nd these pseudocysts and to report on their spatial distribution. Our approach uses a random forest classi er trained on manual segmentation data to classify each voxel as pseudocyst or not. Despite having a small sample size of ve subjects, the algorithm correctly identi es 84.6% of pseudocysts as compared to manual delineation. Finally, using our method, we show that the spatial distribution of pseudocysts within the macula are generally contained within an annulus around the fovea.
Traitement endovasculaire d'une plaie par balle de l'aorte thoracique

Le traitement endovasculaire offre des strategies alternatives mini-invasives pour la prise en charge des lesions vasculaires. Alors que la reparation endovasculaire par stentgraft des contusions de l'aorte thoracique est bien decrite, il y a peu de rapports sur le traitement des traumatismes penetrants de l'aorte thoracique. Nous rapportons le traitement reussi d'une plaie transfixiante de l'aorte thoracique par coup de fusil et passons en revue comment cette technique peut etre utilisee pour le traitement des plaies aortiques thoraciques penetrantes.
Light Microscopic and Ultrastructural Observations on the Vomeronasal Organ of Anoura (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is known to be present in bats of the family Phyllostomidae, but in most species this is inferred from the presence of accessory olfactory bulbs. Like primates, bats have profound intergroup variations in the vomeronasal system. Of the family Phyllostomidae (49 genera, 143 species) the VNO of approximately 60 species has been studied. Here, we report light microscopic observations of the VNO of Anoura geoffroyi (fetus and adult), A. caudifer, and A. cultrata, as well as ultrastructural observations of the VNO in adult A. geoffroyi. The organ is crescent-shaped, with a wide lumen encroached by a "mushroom body" that contains a venous sinus. In adults, the vomeronasal cartilage is reduced, being longer in absolute length in fetal A. geoffroyi compared with the adult. In the neuroepithelium, the receptor cell microvilli are dark, distinct, and short, emerging from a vesicular tuft; the supporting cell microvilli are relatively much longer. Large paravomeronasal ganglia are observed. The receptor-free epithelium is undulating and lacks cilia or microvilli. Some characteristics of the VNO in Anoura have not been reported in other chiropterans to date, such as the marked reduction of the vomeronasal cartilage and absence of cilia in the receptor-free epithelium. Moreover, if A. geoffroyi is representative, the genus has an adult neuroepithelial volume similar to other mammals of its body size. Further examination of uninvestigated phyllostomid VNOs may elucidate a phylogenetic history of the family, as well as ecological or social correlates of the VNO in the order Chiroptera.
Fehlabgang der rechten Koronararterie aus der Arteria pulmonalis – Chirurgische Korrektur ohne Einsatz der extrakorporalen Zirkulation

Der Fehlabgang der rechten Koronararterie aus der Arteria pulmonalis gehort zu den seltensten Koronaranomalien, bleibt haufig asymptomatisch bis ins hohe Alter, kann aber auch bereits im Sauglingsalter klinisch manifest werden und bis zum plotzlichen Herztod fuhren. Wir berichten uber die Diagnostik und chirurgische Therapie bei einem 15 Monate alten asymptomatischen Kind, sowie uber die Notwendigkeit der operativen Korrektur. Die Verdachtsdiagnose entstand zufallig im Rahmen echokardiographischer Verfahren, die Sicherheitsdiagnose durch Koronarangiographie. Die Operation bestand in Umpflanzung des Koronararterien-Fehlabganges ohne Einsatz der extrakorporalen Zirkulation. Der postoperative Verlauf gestaltete sich komplikationslos. Die Indikation zur chirurgischen Korrektur ist auch in asymptomatischen Fallen empfohlen, wegen des Koronarstealphanomens und des damit verbundenen Koronarrisikos.
Turning the tables: a faculty-centered approach to integrating information literacy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze Eastern Washington University's Student Research Skills initiative, a three‐year ongoing project, in which librarians work with faculty members from selected departments, to aid them in articulating and integrating information literacy skills into their curricula.Design/methodology/approach – The library selected two departments in 2007‐2008 and another two departments in 2008‐2009. Librarians met with department faculty members multiple times. Librarians asked the faculty: What library research skills do you want students to demonstrate? At what point during the major will they demonstrate the skill? How will you know whether they have the skill? What should the librarian's role be in this process?Findings – Participating faculty wrote specific information literacy learning outcomes, and revised at least three courses in order to strengthen students' information literacy skills. All of the faculty who answered the survey (12 out of 15) found ...
Use of Anion Gap in the Evaluation of a Patient With Metabolic Acidosis

High anion gap (AG) metabolic acidosis, a common laboratory abnormality encountered in clinical practice, frequently is due to accumulation of organic acids such as lactic acid, keto acids, alcohol metabolites, and reduced kidney function. The cause of high AG metabolic acidosis often is established easily using historical and simple laboratory data. Despite this, several challenges in the diagnosis and management of high AG metabolic acidosis remain, including quantifying the increase in AG, understanding the relationship between changes in AG and serum bicarbonate level, and identifying the cause of high AG metabolic acidosis when common causes are ruled out. The present case was selected to highlight the importance of the correction of AG for serum albumin level, the use of actual baseline AG rather than mean normal AG, the relationship between changes in serum bicarbonate level and AG, and a systematic diagnostic approach to uncommon causes of high AG metabolic acidosis, such as 5-oxoproline acidosis (pyroglutamic acidosis).
Pediatric high speed digital imaging of vocal fold vibration: a normative pilot study of glottal closure and phase closure characteristics.

Objective The aim of the study is to characterize normal vibratory patterns of both glottal closure and phase closure in the pediatric population with the use of high speed digital imaging.
Recommendations for the Practical Use of Elliott Jaques’ Organizational and Social Theories in the Information Technology Field: Teams, Software, Databases, Telecommunications and Innovations

The problem of universals is a profound abstract question that quests into the nature of our knowledge, which our civilization has been querying for the past several millennia — this large abstract problem, Artz (2002)2 writes, has been known to the modern world from the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. Such as, how do we know the true identify of the object and fit the identity into a true classification so that we could understand and attribute to this object? There are multiple problems with identifying a true identity, for example, how do we know what the true identity of the object is? Is there such a thing such as the true identity or are there multiple true identities? Could we really classify the objects even if we knew the true identity(s) of them? And what is classification? Does it exist in the world as a true relationship between identifiable objects or it is just a human way of ‘languaging’ a common understanding? Artz (2002) elaborates in depth on the problem of universals in information modeling, finding that both essence in the same issue — difficulty of classification, or how do you know a thing is a thing and that it belongs to the class of the thing? How do we know what makes a thing thing; and what properties relate things?
Numerical Formulation for the Dynamic Analysis of Spiral-Grooved Gas Face Seals

A numerical formulation is presented for the dynamic analysis of spiral-grooved gas lubricated mechanical face seals with a flexibly mounted stator. Axial and angular modes of motion are considered. Both finite volume and finite element methods are employed for the spatial discretization of the unsteady, compressible form of the Reynolds equation. Self-adapting unwinding schemes are employed in both methods, making them suitable for situations when the compressibility number is high. Both the lubrication analysis and the kinetic analysis are arranged into a single state space form, which makes coupling the two analyses straightforward. The resulting set of equations is solved using a linear multistep ordinary differential equation solver. Examples of the transient response to static stator misalignment and rotor runout are given. Although a properly designed spiral grooved face seal provides good dynamic performance, it is shown that unacceptably large face separation can occur when large angle spiral grooves are employed together with a sealing dam. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1308015#
A Modeling Study of the Three-Dimensional Continental Shelf Circulation off Oregon. Part I: Model-Data Comparisons

Sixty-day simulations of the subinertial continental shelf circulation off Oregon are performed for a hindcast study of summer 1999. Model results are compared with in situ currents, high-frequency radar‐derived surface currents, and hydrographic measurements obtained from an array of moored instruments and field surveys. The correlations between observed and modeled alongshore currents and temperatures in water depths of 50 m are in excess of 0.8. A study designed to test the model’s sensitivity to different initial stratification, surface forcing, domain size, and river forcing demonstrates that surface heating is important, and that the model results are sensitive to initial stratification. An objective criterion for assessing the skill of a model simulation relative to a control simulation is outlined, providing an objective means for identifying the best model simulation. The model‐data comparisons demonstrate that temperature fluctuations off Newport are primarily in response to surface heating and that subsurface density fluctuations are controlled by the wind-forced circulation through salinity. Experiments with river forcing indicate that, in the vicinity of Newport, the Columbia River plume is typically greater than 15 km from the coast and is confined to the top few meters of the water column. Additionally, the model‐data comparisons suggest that the strongest upwelling occurs to the north of Newport where the continental shelf is relatively narrow and uniform in the alongshore direction. Part II of this study investigates the modeled three-dimensional circulation and dynamical balances. A numerical modeling study of the coastal ocean circulation off Oregon during the 1999 upwelling season is presented. The model results are compared with in situ velocity, temperature and salinity measurements, and high-frequency (HF) radar‐derived surface currents obtained during summer 1999 as a part of the Oregon State University (OSU) National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) project. The aims of this study are to assess the performance of the model, to identify the dominant physical processes, and to assess the model’s sensitivity to variations in initial stratification, surface forcing, model domain size, and river forcing. Processes that are of particular interest in this study include the response to wind forcing and the generation of the northward flow that is commonly observed off Newport (44.658N) over the
IL-4-Transfected Tumor Cell Vaccines Activate Tumor-Infiltrating Dendritic Cells and Promote Type-1 Immunity

We previously demonstrated that IL-4 gene-transfected glioma cell vaccines induce effective therapeutic immunity in preclinical glioma models, and have initiated phase I trials of these vaccines in patients with malignant gliomas. To gain additional mechanistic insight into the efficacy of this approach, we have treated mice bearing the MCA205 (H-2(b)) or CMS-4 (H-2(d)) sarcomas. IL-12/23 p40(-/-) and IFN-gamma(-/-) mice, which were able to reject the initial inoculation of IL-4 expressing tumors, failed to mount a sustained systemic response against parental (nontransfected) tumor cells. Paracrine production of IL-4 in vaccine sites promoted the accumulation and maturation of IL-12p70-secreting tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells (TIDCs). Adoptive transfer of TIDCs isolated from vaccinated wild-type, but not IL-12/23 p40(-/-), mice were capable of promoting tumor-specific CTL responses in syngeneic recipient animals. Interestingly, both STAT4(-/-) and STAT6(-/-) mice failed to reject IL-4-transfected tumors in concert with the reduced capacity of TIDCs to produce IL-12p70 and to promote specific antitumor CTL reactivity. These results suggest that vaccines consisting of tumor cells engineered to produce the type 2 cytokine, IL-4, critically depend on type 1 immunity for their observed therapeutic efficacy.
PATTERNS OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR RELATED TO EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES AND TURNOVER: SOME POST HOC REFLECTIONS

This study investigates some relationships between the leader behavior of industrial supervisors and the behavior of their group members. It represents an extension of earlier studies carried out at the International Harvester Company, while the authors were with the Ohio State University Leadership Studies.
Enticing nonhuman primates to forage for their standard biscuit ration

Ordinary feeder-boxes for macaques were converted into food puzzles by remounting them onto the square mesh (22 × 22 mm) of the front of the cages, away from original access holes. Feeding a standard ration of bar-shaped biscuits (40 × 24 × 16 mm; Purina Monkey Chow #5038; 236 g per animal), 8 adult pair-housed male rhesus macaques spent, on average, 61.0±15.6% of the first 30 min retrieving biscuits from food puzzles, but only 0.5±0.1% from feeder-boxes. Their total amount of time engaged in gathering food was, on average, 141 times higher at food puzzles (42.2±7.2 min) than at feeder-boxes (0.3±0.1 min). It was concluded that using feeder-boxes as food puzzles, baited with the standard biscuit ration, offers a cost- and work-effective way to promote foraging activities in captive nonhuman primates. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Adaptive multilevel median filtering of image sequences

This paper presents a new method for adaptive multilevel median (AML3D) filtering of image sequences that can be used for impulse noise suppression in movies that have been converted from film to digital format. The proposed AML3D filter operates on three consecutive frames using an adaptive window and is designed to provide good image quality at modest computational cost. In addition, we present a benchmark comparison of methods used for median filtering of image sequences. Testing includes both grayscale and color images that are synthetically degraded by various levels of impulse noise. Results obtained for timing performance and image quality illustrate that the AML3D filter provides the highest PSNR improvement, while maintaining a reasonable throughput.
Fiber Inclination Model of Three-Dimensional Textile Structural Composites

This paper describes a methodology for predicting the elastic properties of three- dimensional textile structural composites. A "Fiber Inclination Model" is established, which treats the unit cell of a composite as an assemblage of inclined unidirectional laminae. The analysis is based upon the classical laminated plate theory. The effective in-plane elastic properties are derived; comparisons between theoretical predictions and experimental data are also presented.
Substance use and survival after treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Background: Patients’ substance use problems are a particularly understudied aspect of psychosocial variables in cancer treatment. Objectives: The specific hypothesis tested was that lifetime substance use disorders increased the risk of adverse outcome, in the context of other psychosocial and clinical characteristics demonstrated in other studies to have an impact on treatment outcome. Method: Prospective cohort study of 106 adults with chronic myelogenous leukemia or primary myelodysplastic syndrome. None satisfied criteria for current substance abuse or dependence, but the lifetime rates of substance use disorders in this sample were 28% for alcohol, 12% for cannabis, and 9% for cocaine. Results: Participants received treatment as directed by their physicians, and were followed until death or the end of the study (median 1.5 years). Twenty-eight died. Multivariate survival analysis identified three predictors of outcome: lifetime cocaine use, associated with a six-fold increased risk of death (p = .04...
LONG-TIME AIRCRAFT VORTEX WAKE PREDICTIONS AND PLUME EVOLUTION CONSEQUENCES

This paper summarizes ongoing work on the prediction of wake/exhaust mixing for subsonic and supersonic aircraft, with particular emphasis on long-time wake effects. The primary objective of this work addresses the need for a continuous model prediction of the wake of a subsonic aircraft (from the trailing edge of the wing to times late downstream), its entrainment of engine products, and the consequences of the chemistry of these products on the atmosphere; in particular, the process of exhaust mixing, dispersion and chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere, and the assessment of atmospheric effects of commercial aviation. This work is part of the current Subsonic Assessment element of the NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program. The modeling described here brings together two validated computer models: UNIWAKE, a near-wake model for vortex roll-up and entrainment, and SCIPUFF, a widely used atmospheric plume dispersion model. The coupled model tracks gas-phase species, temperature and velocity fields, and passive tracers in the presence of realistic wind fields, over periods of 24 hours or more after initiation of the wake trail. It facilitates coupling with existing models of photochemical kinetics and aerosol growth dynamics contributed by other investigators, and permits fields of multiple overlapping plumes to be examined, including the simulation of active flight corridors such as those planned for the North Atlantic Flight Corridor and scheduled for Summer 1997.
Oxidative Stress and Interaction of Endothelin Receptors in Airways of Clinically Healthy Horses

Abstract Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a physiological as well as an inflammatory mediator, causes contraction of airway smooth muscles by binding to endothelin-A (ETA) and endothelin-B (ETB) receptors. We investigated the interaction between endothelin receptors on contractions and oxidative stress of bronchial rings of clinically healthy horses. Rings for response studies were set in tissue chambers containing oxygenated Tyrode’s solution. Concentration-response relationships were determined for ET-1 on control rings, rings incubated with ETA antagonist (BQ123), rings incubated with ETB antagonists (IRL 1038 and BQ788), and rings incubated with all antagonists combined. For oxidative stress studies, rings were incubated for 30 minutes separately with ET-1, ETA antagonist + ET-1, ETB antagonists + ET-1, and all three antagonists + ET-1. The control rings were not treated with any agents. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method was used to measure total reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide, and peroxynitrite. Results showed that ET-1 caused dose-dependent contractions which were increased by ETA blockade and decreased by ETB blockade. Combined blockade significantly inhibited the response to ET-1. Regarding the oxidative stress, ET-1 and its antagonists significantly reduced the total ROS. Superoxide production was significantly decreased by ETA antagonist and completely abolished when ETA and ETB antagonists were combined. Peroxynitrite production was not changed significantly. The study suggested that an interaction between ET receptors exists in the expression of contractile responses and oxidative stress. ET-1 attenuated oxidative stress by decreasing total ROS. ETA receptors may be primarily responsible for superoxide production. It appears that ET-1 does not affect peroxynitrite production in normal equine tissues.
Properties of contrast agents insonified at frequencies above 10 MHz

The authors compare the properties of contrast agents following insonation in the 3-7 MHz range with the properties observed at higher frequencies, in order to differentiate the properties associated with insonation near resonance. In addition, to map small blood vessels located in deeper tissues, such as those within the retina and within lymph nodes, contrast-enhanced imaging at high frequencies may be desirable. Increasing the echo intensity with a contrast agent may allow the use of a higher frequency transducer, and thus improve the spatial resolution of the vascular map. With these goals in mind, the authors explore the properties of ultrasonic echoes from contrast agents at 38 MHz and compare these properties to those at lower frequencies.
Glycated albumin stimulation of PKC-β activity is linked to increased collagen IV in mesangial cells

Albumin modified by Amadori-glucose adducts induces coordinate increases in the expression of extracellular matrix proteins, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and the TGF-β type II receptor in g...
A progressive to lossless embedded audio coder (PLEAC) with reversible modulated lapped transform

A progressive to lossless embedded audio coder (PLEAC) has been proposed. PLEAC is based purely on a reversible transform, which is designed to mimic the non-reversible transform in a normal psychoacoustic audio coder as much as possible. Coupled with a high performance embedded entropy codec, this empowers PLEAC with both lossless capability and fine granular scalability. The PLEAC encoder generates a bitstream that if fully decoded, completely recovers the original audio waveform without loss. Moreover, it is possible to scale this bitstream in a very large bitrate range, with granularity down to a single byte. Extensive experimental results support the superior lossless performance and bitstream scalability of the PLEAC coder.
Multicultural Students' Perceptions of Nursing as a Career

Junior year students (= 276) at a culturally diverse, urban high school were surveyed to examine how their perceptions of nursing compared with their perceptions of an ideal career. Findings indicate that significant differences exist among cultural and racial groups and between genders. Recommendations are made to increase recruitment of multicultural students into nursing.
Arabidopsis Genes Encoding Components of the Chloroplastic Protein Import Apparatus

The process of protein import into plastids has been studied extensively using isolated pea (Pisum sativum) chloroplasts. As a consequence, virtually all of the known components of the proteinaceous apparatus that mediates import were originally cloned from pea. With the recent completion of the Arabidopsis genome sequencing project, it is now possible to identify putative homologs of the import components in this species. Our analysis has revealed that Arabidopsis homologs with high sequence similarity exist for all of the pea import complex subunits, making Arabidopsis a valid model for further study of this system. Multiple homologs can be identified for over one-half of the components. In all but one case it is known that more than one of the putative isoforms for a particular subunit are expressed. Thus, it is possible that multiple types of import complexes are present within the same cell, each having a unique affinity for different chloroplastic precursor proteins, depending upon the exact mix of isoforms it contains. Sequence analysis of the putative Arabidopsis homologs for the chloroplast protein import apparatus has revealed many questions concerning subunit function and evolution. It should now be possible to use the genetic tools available in Arabidopsis, including the generation of knockout mutants and antisense technology, to address these questions and learn more about the molecular functions of each of the components during the import process.
Wideband dumbbell-shaped dipole quasi-fractal antenna

This paper presents the design of a wideband dumbbell-shaped dipole quasi-fractal antenna with a partial ground plane under the feed point. Several sizes of the partial ground plane were simulated and compared. The antenna has good impedance and radiation characteristics for frequencies from 450 MHz to 1725 MHz. The antenna is suitable for HDTV reception and other applications within its operating bandwidth.
Streets of San Francisco: Brunswik's Lens Model Applied to Urban Inference and Assessment

Brunswik's probabilistic functionalism and the lens model offers a conceptual framework for linking environmental assessment with environmental perception and cognition in the study of such urban problems as inference and action regarding crime opportunity and crime vulnerability. An adaptation of Brunswik's lens model is applied to analysis of inferences about urban conditions. The ecological validity of cues generated by technical and observational assessments of residential streets in San Francisco is gauged for three conditions: traffic volume, average family income and residents' concern about crime. The functional validity of estimates of these conditions by expert judges is also appraised, and policy capturing is illustrated.
Changes in Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages Along the Impounded Arkansas River

Abstract In order to determine cumulative impacts of multiple impoundments on the Arkansas River, we collected forage fish, macroinvertebrate, and physical and chemical samples from stations upstream and downstream of four hypolimnial release reservoirs and from stations along unimpounded reaches between Florence, Colorado, and Bixby, Oklahoma. Dendrograms using Jaccard associations and polar ordinations indicated that distributional patterns of macroinvertebrates were dependent upon changes in substrate, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, and zinc and fish upon substrate and temperature. Only changes in IDS and alkalinity levels could be attributed to cumulative impacts of the series of impoundments. Substrate changes were localized effects downstream of each reservoir and influenced changes in proportions of functional groups of macroinvertebrates. This hydrologic effect supported predictions of serial discontinuity. Impoundments served as distributional barriers to fish communities rather than a river...
Association of Lipids With Incident Heart Failure Among Adults With and Without Diabetes Mellitus Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background— Dyslipidemia is a known risk factor for coronary disease, but its role in heart failure (HF) development is less well-defined. Methods and Results— We included 5688 participants, aged 45 to 84 years, without clinical cardiovascular disease, and not receiving lipid-lowering medications at baseline, from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Cox-proportional hazards models were used to evaluate associations of triglyceride, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio, HDL-C, and non HDL-C with incident HF. We investigated for effect-modification by diabetes mellitus status and sex. During a median follow-up of 8.5 years, there were 152 incident HF cases. There were no interactions by sex. We observed significant interactions between triglyceride and diabetes mellitus ( P interaction<0.05). We stratified our analyses by diabetes mellitus status. In participants with diabetes, the hazard ratios were 2.03 (0.97–4.27) and 1.68 (1.18–2.38) for high triglyceride and log of triglyceride, respectively, after adjusting for confounders, comorbidities, and diabetes mellitus severity/treatment. The association of high triglyceride with incident HF was attenuated by interim myocardial infarction. The hazard ratios were greatest in participants with diabetes who also had high triglyceride, low HDL-C, or high total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (3.59 [2.03–6.33], 3.62 [2.06–6.36], and 3.54 [1.87–6.70], respectively). Lipid measures were not associated with incident HF in individuals without diabetes. Conclusions— The risk of incident HF is greater in individuals with diabetes mellitus who also have high triglyceride, low HDL-C, or high total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio. The association of high triglyceride with incident HF is partly mediated by myocardial infarction.
Process characterization vehicles for 3D Integration

Assemblies produced by 3D Integration, whether fabricated at die or wafer level, involve a large number of post fab processing steps. Performing the prove-in of these operations on high value product has many limitations. This work uses simple surrogate process characterization vehicles, which workaround limitations of cost, timeliness of piecparts, ability to consider multiple processing options, and insufficient volumes for adequately exercising flows to collect specific process data for characterization. The test structures easily adapt to specific product in terms of die dimensions, aspect ratios, pitch and number of interconnects, and etc. This results in good fidelity in exercising product-specific processing. The discussed Cyclops vehicle implements a mirrored layout suitable for stacking to itself by wafer-to-wafer, die-to-wafer, or die-to-die. A standardized 2×10 pad test interface allows characterization of any of the integration methods with a single simple setup. This design offers the utility of comparison study of the various methods all using the same basis.
Lindelöf locales and realcompactness

We show that a locale possesses the localic analogue of the property of realcompactness if and only if it is regular Lindelof. Thus, the localic version of the Hewitt real-compactification, originally defined by G.Reynolds using σ-frames, is the regular Lindelof reflection. An immediate consequence is that a space is realcompact if and only if it is the point space of a regular Lindelof local (3·2). We point out a nice analogy between a theorem of Reynolds and Stone's classical representation theorem for boolean algebras. Finally, we show that the quasi-F cover of a compact Hausdorff space is the Stone–cech compactifications of the smallest dense Lindelof sublocale.
Response of a simple structure to a random earthquake-type disturbance

A physically plausible second order random function has been selected to represent ground acceleration. Several member functions have been presented in graphical form. Some of the statistical properties of the response of a simple structure to this acceleration have been determined and possible uses of these properties by designers of aseismic structures have been commented upon. Lines for additional investigation of the uses of random function theory in the study of seismic disturbances also have been indicated.
The Protein Data Bank and structural genomics.

The Protein Data Bank (PDB; http://www.pdb.org/) continues to be actively involved in various aspects of the informatics of structural genomics projects--developing and maintaining the Target Registration Database (TargetDB), organizing data dictionaries that will define the specification for the exchange and deposition of data with the structural genomics centers and creating software tools to capture data from standard structure determination applications.
Li4Ti5O12 Nanocrystals Synthesized by Carbon Templating from Solution Precursors Yield High Performance Thin Film Li‐Ion Battery Electrodes

Nanocrystals of Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) have been prepared by processing an ethanol-toluene solution of LiOEt and Ti(OiPr)4 using a carbon black template. The mechanism of crystal growth has been tracked by SEM and TEM microscopies. The resulting nanocrystals grown using the carbon template (C-LTO) show less aggregation than materials prepared from solution without the template (S-LTO), which is reflected in higher surface area (27 m2/g) and concomitantly smaller particle size (58 nm) for C-LTO compared to 20 m2/g and 201 nm for S-LTO. Electrochemically, thin-film electrodes composed of C-LTO demonstrate reversible cycling, storing ∼160 mAh/g at both 1 C (175 mA/g) and 10 C current. Important is that resistance to charge transfer between the C-LTO nanocrystals and added conducting carbon is 3 times smaller than that for S-LTO. Accordingly, C-LTO shows excellent rate capability, maintaining an energy-storage capacity >150 mAh/g even at 100 C current. These characteristics solidify C-LTO a suitable replacement for carbon as a Li-ion battery anode.
Efficacy of a Pulsed Oxygen Delivery Device during Exercise in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease

The ability of a pulsed oxygen delivery system (Puritan-Bennett Companion Oxygen Saver (COS-5)) to track respiratory rate during exercise and the oxygenation achieved during the exercise while oxygen was being delivered by this system was compared to that attained while oxygen was delivered continuously in six patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and six patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The COS-5 appeared to respond appropriately at respiratory rates between 15 and 45, even when there were minimal pressure changes at the nose. There was an excellent correlation in PaO 2 at equivalent flow settings during the exercise in the patients with COPD and IPF. There were six instances (in four patients) of the 31 comparisons in which the PaO 2 differed by more than 5 mm Hg. The PaO 2 was higher with continuous oxygen delivery on two occasions in a patient with COPD who utilized pursed-lip breathing during the exercise. The PaO 2 was higher with COS-5 delivery on two occasions in a patient with IPF who was breathing at the highest respiratory rates (44 and 45/min) during the exercise.
Decision support and safety of clinical environments

Safety in the clinical environment is based on structures that reduce the probability of harm, on evidence that enhances the likelihood of actions that increase favourable outcomes, and on explicit directions that lead to decisions to implement the actions dictated by this evidence. A clinical decision error rate of only 1% threatens patient safety at a distressing frequency. Explicit computerised decision support tools standardise clinical decision making and lead different clinicians to the same set of diagnostic or therapeutic instructions. They have favourable impacts on patient outcome. Simple computerised algorithms that generate reminders, alerts, or other information, and protocols that incorporate more complex rules reduce the clinical decision error rate. Decision support tools are not new; it is the new attributes of explicit computerised decision support tools that deserve identification. When explicit computerised protocols are driven by patient data, the protocol output (instructions) is patient specific, thus preserving individualized treatment while standardising clinical decisions. The expected decrease in variation and increase in compliance with evidence-based recommendations should decrease the error rate and enhance patient safety.
Field Trial of Systemically Delivered Arthropod Development-Inhibitor (Fluazuron) Used to Control Woodrat Fleas (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) and Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

An orally delivered arthropod development-inhibitory (fluazuron) was evaluated for its potential to reduce the number of flea and tick vectors found on the dusky-footed woodrat Neotoma fuscipes Baird, a reservoir host important in disease enzootiology in northern California. Pigmented bait cubes containing fluazuron were distributed monthly to woodrat nests in a chaparral habitat for 1 yr. When compared with control woodrats, the numbers of fleas [primarily Orchopeas sexdentatus (Baker)] on treated woodrats were significantly reduced 3-4 mo after initial application, and remained so for the duration of the application period. By contrast, tick numbers were not significantly reduced on treated woodrats. After the cessation of treatments, flea indices remained lower on treated animals for up to 2 mo after application. Approximately 93% of woodrats captured in the treatment area excreted pigmented feces and 93% of distributed bait cubes were removed by woodrats, which indicates that the bait cube formulation and delivery system were highly effective. Bait cubes also were attractive to small rodents and ground-frequenting birds. The results of this study suggest that a monthly application program of fluazuron delivered by bait cube is effective in reducing woodrat flea-burdens, but is not effective, at least in the short-term, in controlling ticks.
Quantitative aspects of RNA synthesis and polyadenylation in 1-cell and 2-cell mouse embryos.

Mouse embryos at the late 1-cell and late 2-cell stages were labelled with [ 3 H]adenosine for periods of up to 320 min during which the specific activity of the ATP pool was constant. The time course of the molar accumulation of adenosine was calculated for tRNA, high-molecular-weight poly(A)− RNA and poly(A) tails versus internal regions of poly(A)+ RNA. Most of the adenosine incorporation into tRNA is due to turnover of the 3′-terminal AMP but some new synthesis of tRNA also appears to take place in both 1-cell and 2-cell embryos at a rate of about 0·2 pg/embryo/h. In the poly(A)- RNA fraction, an unstable component which is assumed to be heterogeneous nuclear RNA is synthesized at a high rate and accumulates at a steady-state level of about 1·5 pg/embryo in the 1-cell embryo and about 3·0 pg/embryo in the 2-cell embryo. Both 1-cell and 2-cell embryos synthesize relatively stable heterogeneous poly(A)− RNA, assumed to be mRNA, at a rate of about 0·3 pg/embryo/h; 2-cell embryos also synthesize mature ribosomal RNA at a rate of about 0·4 pg/embryo·h. Internally labelled poly(A)+ RNA is synthesized at a low rate in the 1-cell embryo, about 0·045 pg/embryo/h, but the rate increases to about 0·2 pg/embryo/h by the 2-cell stage. A striking feature of the 1-cell embryo is the high rate of synthesis of poly(A) tails, about 2·5 × 10 6 tails/embryo/h of an average length of (A) 43 , due almost entirely to cytoplasmic polyadenylation. This and other evidence suggests a turnover of the poly(A)+ RNA population in 1-cell embryos as a result of polyadenylation of new RNA sequences and degradation of some of the pre-existing poly(A)+ RNA. In the 2-cell embryo, the rate of synthesis of poly(A) tails (average length (A) 93 ) is estimated at about 0·8 × 10 6 tails/embryo/h and a significant fraction of poly(A) synthesis appears to be nuclear.