cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of Arrhythmias and Conduction Disorders in Older Adults

Aging is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias, which contribute to higher morbidity and mortality in the elderly. The frequency of cardiac arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachyarrhythmia, is projected to increase as the population ages, greatly impacting health care resource utilization. Several clinical factors associated with the risk of arrhythmias have been identified in the population, yet the molecular bases for the increased predisposition to arrhythmogenesis in the elderly are not fully understood. This review highlights the epidemiology of cardiac dysrhythmias, changes in cardiac structure and function associated with aging, and the basis for arrhythmogenesis in the elderly.
A review of mass transfer measurements using naphthalene sublimation

Abstract The naphthalene sublimation method can be used to study mass and heat transfer with confidence for a variety of applications, but with certain restrictions. This method is particularly useful in complex flows and geometries and for flows with large gradients in wall transport rate. Mass transfer boundary conditions analogous to isothermal and adiabatic walls in convective heat transfer can be easily imposed. Furthermore, the nature of mass transfer allows one to impose these boundary conditions such that errors analogous to conductive losses in a wall are not present. The test specimen can be easily prepared by several methods, including dipping, machining spraying, and casting. The local transfer coefficients can be determined with high accuracy and in detail by automated measurement systems that eliminate most human errors and reduce extraneous sublimation losses during the measurement process. The heat transfer coefficient, which is often desired, can be readily determined from the measured mass transfer results with good confidence via a heat/mass transfer analogy. However this method cannot generally be used in certain flow situations such as high-velocity flows because of recovery temperature effects and natural convection due to the thermal buoyancy effects of sublimation latent heat.
Synthesis of 2‐oxo and 6‐hydroxylated benzimidazole analogs of DOPA as potential norepinephrine antagonists

The synthesis of benzimidazolone analogs of DOPA and α-methyl-DOPA and of the benzimidazole and benzimidazolone analogs of 6-hydroxy-DOPA is reported. These compounds showed a moderate amount of dopamine β-hydroxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitory activity but did not significantly alter tissue catacholamine levels.
SEDIMENT PHOSPHORUS RELEASE REDUCES THE EFFECT OF THE CHAIN LAKE WATER DIVERSION

ABSTRACT In 1968, a 2 km long water diversion was built to flush Chain Lake, British Columbia with nutrient-poor subai-pine water. Unfortunately in some years, blue-green algal blooms (chl a> 100 μg/L) and fish kills still occur. The incomplete success of the diversion is related to the asynchrony of water flow and phosphorus release from the sediments. Internal loading represents about 78 percent of the phosphorus supply to the lake in summer, and water flow is minimal during phosphorus release. Phosphorus in surface sediments is five times more concentrated than in sediments deeper than 80 cm. Diatoms in sediment cores indicate that the lake has been eutrophic for at least 300 years. The accumulation of a diatomaceous ooze in the lake was measured by three methods to be between 0.5 and 1 cm a year. A larger diversion would suppress plankton blooms, but in this shallow lake it would enhance the growth of macro-phytes; sediment dredging may be a more effective in situ treatment.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus: Analysis of 66 cases

A retrospective review was performed of 66 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus. The majority of patients presented with tumors classified as T3 (31.8%) and T4 (54.5%). Seven (10.6%) patients presented initially with neck metastases and 13 (19.7%) patients subsequently developed regional disease. For the 66 patients studied, the observed 5 and 10 year actuarial survival rate was 27.3% and 20.7% respectively. The presence of cervical metastases, particularly when they developed subsequent to initial therapy, was associated with a poorer survival rate. Five year survival rate for patients without cervical metastases was 32.6% in contrast to 28.6% for patients initially presenting with nodal disease and 7.7% for patients who subsequently developed regional metastases. Overall, 5-year survival rate for all patients with cervical metastases was 15.0%. A combined treatment regimen (surgery and radiation therapy) appeared to be superior to single modality therapy. A 58.0% observed 5-year actuarial survival rate was achieved with combined therapy. Surgery or radiation therapy when used alone as a single modality resulted in a 5-year survival rate of 20.0% and 15.7% respectively.
Surface representation from photometric stereo with wavelets

Given multiple images of a diffuse surface taken from the same point of view, a photometric approach yields the surface normals which provide a good representation for a 1- 1 surface. This representation can be filtered and compressed using wavelets. In this work, two different applications based upon the wavelet approximations of the surface normals are presented. For the first application, surface reconstruction, compressed wavelet transforms of the images are used to reconstruct a surface. The surface shape is first interpolated from a 3D triangulated description, and then transformed into two and three images based solely upon the surface normals and the lighting direction. When the surface is compressed, the rational wavelets used in integrating the surface can produce singularities. A technique for handling compression of rational wavelets is presented. The second application is object differentiation, a subset of object recognition. The surface normals are used to derive the Gaussian curvature of an object. The Gaussian curvature is used as a primitive for classification. The actual object signature comes from the high magnitude coefficients in the Haar wavelet decomposition. By storing a library of objects indexed by extreme wavelet coefficients as opposed to the object name, a fast query can be performed to find a list of possible matches.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurement of the electro-optic coefficient of a range of polymer film concentrations by the two-slit interference technique

Organic based crystals and polymers have been shown to have an electro-optic coefficient much larger than conventionally inorganic materials such as LiNiO5[1]. The electro-optic coefficients, r33 and r13 have been measured for a range of fumaryl chloride –ethylene glycol polyesters doped with the electro-optic chromophore Disperse Red 19(DR-19), using the two-slit interference technique[2].
Temporal effects of hemodialysis on measures of neural efficiency.

Temporal effects of hemodialysis on measures of neural efficiency. The short-term effects of hemodialysis on the integrity of the central nervous system (CNS) were examined. Evoked potentials (EP) and performance on five neuropsychologic tests were obtained from six patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Measurements were taken 1, 24, 42, and 66 hours following dialysis. A highly consistent relationship between time since dialysis and EP latency was found. EP latencies tended to decrease during the 1-hour and the 24-hour recording sessions (compared to predialysis recordings), the shortest latencies typically occurring during the 24-hour period, then increasing steadily during the 42-hour and 66-hour intervals. EP amplitude was largest 1 hour after dialysis, then decreased progressively with time since dialysis. Performance on two tests of visual-motor speed and accuracy was best 24 hours after dialysis. The results indicate that there are consistent and measurable changes in the responsivity of the CNS which are related to time since dialysis. Effets de l'hemodialyse, en fonction du temps ecoule, sur le systeme nerveux central. Les effets a court terme de l'hemodialyse sur l'integrite du systeme nerveux central (CNS) ont ete etudies. Les potentiels evoques (EPs) et les performances au cours de cinq epreuves neurophysiologiques ont ete evalues chez six malades en hemodialyse chronique. Les determinations ont ete faites 1, 24, 42, et 66 heures apres les dialyses. Une relation tres nette a ete observee entre le temps ecoule depuis la dialyse et la latence de l'EP. La latence de l'EP tend a diminuer au cours des enregistrements a 1 et 24 heures (par comparaison aux enregistrements precedant la dialyse), la latence la plus courte etant observee au cours des premieres 24 heures, puis augmente regulierement a 42 et 66 heures. L' amplitude de l' EP est la plus grande une heure apres la dialyse puis diminue progressivement avec le temps ecoule depuis la dialyse. Les performances au cours de deux epreuves de vitesse et de precision oculo-motrice sont les meilleures 24 heures apres la dialyse. Les resultats indiquent qu'il existe des modifications importantes et mesurables de la capacite de reponse du CNS en fonction du temps ecoule depuis la dialyse.
14-year follow-up of borderline and schizotypal personality disorders.

Abstract Admission and mean 14-year follow-up functioning were studied in inpatients meeting DSM-III criteria for borderline (BPD) or schizotypal (SPD) personality disorders and compared to schizophrenia, major affective disorder (MAD) and other diagnoses. Findings include the following: (1) BPD without MAD functioned better at admission and follow-up than schizophrenia, but was comparable to MAD; (2) SPD functioned better than schizophrenia, but not MAD at admission only; (3) BPD with MAD at follow-up functioned more poorly than BPD without MAD, contrary to a previous report; and (4) BPD with SPD patients were as impaired as schizophrenics at admission but significantly better at follow-up.
RNA-Sequencing: A tool to explore new frontiers in animal genetics

Global gene expression profiling by RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) was introduced in 2004 with the advent of next generation sequencing technologies and has made a revolutionary impact on transcriptome analysis. When compared to the traditional microarray technologies, RNA-Seq has major advantages such as a higher dynamic range, a precise unbiased quantification of transcripts and a comprehensive coverage of all expressed sequences in a given tissue. Besides transcript quantification, RNA-Seq is utilized for comparison of transcriptomes, mapping the 5 0
Carbon black network contribution to the dynamic modulus of a tire stock

The dynamic mechanical measurements reported here were made to get a measure of the carbon black network contribution to the mechanical properties of a tire stock. The results indicate directly that independent, carbon black networks can contribute greatly to the rigidity of a vulcanized tire stock.
Cutaneous effects of topical indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, on UV-damaged skin.

Topical application of a 2.5% indomethacin (IM) solution to the sunburned skin of humans and guinea pigs resulted in a marked decrease in ultraviolet light (UVL)-induced erythema. In humans, a decrease in skin temperature and hyperalgesia to near normal levels was also observed. Epidermal responses to UVL injury such as keratinocyte cell death and altered DNA synthesis proceeded unmodified by IM. Repeated applications of TM in the 48-hr period following UVL exposure did not improve upon the results obtained following a single treatment. Guinea-pig skin provides a relevant model system for evaluating the effects of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents on sunburn.
Measure-of-disagreement of consensus and adaptive-consensus filters for spatially distributed systems

A measure of disagreement of the consensus and adaptive-consensus filters for spatially distributed systems is examined and defined in a similar way as in the finite dimensional case. Such a a measure of disagreement essentially examines the deviation of the state of each spatial filter from the average estimate of all filters. Convergence of each spatially consensus filter to the average implies that the proposed consensus filter agree with each other. However, the interesting observation is that the speed of convergence of the measure of disagreement to zero is linked to the speed of convergence of the state estimation errors to zero. As a consequence one must appropriately design filters so that convergence of the associated state errors to zero enhances the agreement of all consensus filters. The proposed theoretical results are demonstrated by extensive simulations for representative spatially distributed systems.
Ancient beer and modern brewers: Ethnoarchaeological observations of chicha production in two regions of the North Coast of Peru

Archaeological studies of alcohol have tended to focus on consumption while production, particularly of beer, has been more difficult to recognize and interpret. The ethnoarchaeological study of modern maize beer or chicha production on Peru’s north coast provides information on (1) production steps and their material correlates, (2) labor and raw material inputs at different scales and possible labor bottlenecks, and (3) variation in technology and organization that is linked to contexts of consumption and cultural differences through time across the Andes. Because of this variation, the ethnoarchaeological observations reported here should not be directly projected onto the past, but rather should serve as points of comparison with the archaeological record.
WE-E-213A-04: Practical Aspects of Electron Beam Dosimetry

Electron beamdosimetry can be a deceptively simple endeavor. On one hand, the process of measuring and using unrestricted electron cone factors is remarkably straight forward. However, making measurements in restricted fields especially at extended treatment distances can prove to be quite a challenge, especially if the field is extremely narrow. Ionization chamber correction coefficients for cylindrical and plane‐parallel chambers can depend on many factors and ensuring that the correct factors are applied for measurements at depth in water or solid phantoms can be confusing. This talk will cover proper measurement set up and technique, problems and pitfalls associated with detector selection for various electron measurement situations, chamber response characteristics that should be known and determined before use for electron dosimetry, and efficient techniques for performing routine commissioning measurements and special dosimetry for electron beams. The influence of TG‐51 calibration protocol on routine clinical measurements will also be covered along with some clinical techniques where electron beam measurements are particularly challenging and interesting. Learning Objectives: 1. Ionization chamber response characteristics in electron beams 2. Selection of detectors for measurements in electron beams 3. Use of ionization chambers and other detectors in electron beams measurements 4. Special measurement situations: restricted field measurements, measurements at extended distances, measurements in non‐water phantoms 5. Clinical situations involving special electron beam measurements
The relative efficiency of different types of posterior teeth.

Abstract A testing machine was constructed to compare the mechanical efficiency of certain types of posterior teeth. When uncooked macaroni and peanuts were used as test foods, no statistically significant difference in the efficiency of 30, 20, and 0 degree teeth was found. The difference in the efficiency of porcelain and acrylic resin teeth was also too small to be statistically significant. The results indicated the superiority of 45 degree teeth over Hardy'sV.O. cutters with both test foods. The difference was statistically significant at the 0.001 level.
Information technology & FDA compliance in the pharmaceutical industry

Given the recent profitability of and demand for pharmaceuticals, from prescription antibiotics and analgesics like CiproflaxinTM and OxyContinTM and men's health drugs such as ViagraTM and VardenafilTM to over-the-counter SenokotTM laxatives and BetadineTM antiseptics, the rush to develop and market new pharmaceuticals has never been greater. The current process is complex and it often takes several years for a drug to reach the market due to the myriad of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. Furthermore, the recent FDA guidelines mandating that all New Drug Applications (NDA) be submitted in electronic (paperless) format by the end of 2002 is a catalyst for change in the pharmaceutical industry (FDA Proposes First Requirement for Electronic Submission, 2002; New Drug Application (NDA), 2001). Bayer Pharmaceutical, like its competitors Purdue Pharma and Boots Healthcare, has begun to take steps to assure that its use of information technology will allow it to not only meet FDA guidelines, but achieve its corporate goals of improved efficiency and reduced operating costs.
Susceptibility of the right and left canine atria to fibrillation in hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in the refractory period and in the susceptibility to fibrillation of canine atria associated with different levels of glycemia, and the differences in these parameters between the two atria. In 20 anesthetized, open-chest dogs weighing 24 kg, the effective refractory period was measured by atrial pacing with a run of 8 stimuli (S1-S1 350 ms) followed by a progressively earlier S2 until no stimulation of the atrial tissue occurred. The susceptibility to fibrillation was assessed by applying DC at 2, 3, and 4 V for 3 seconds, 7 times each, on the atrial appendage. If fibrillation occurred and persisted for 3 minutes, a transthoracic synchronized shock was delivered (200 J). The refractory period and the susceptibility to fibrillation were assessed under normoglycemia first, and then under hypo and hyperglycemia, in the right and left atrium successively, in random order. The incidence of induced atrial fibrillation in the right atrium was: hypoglycemia 31.96% (132 of 413 attempts); normoglycemia 24.11% (81 of 336; p 3 minutes) occurred significantly more often under hypo rather than hyperglycemia and stimulated the left rather than the right atrium. The refractory period was shortest under hypoglycemia in the left atrium and longest under normo or hyperglycemia in the right atrium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Developmental biology of oxidant-producing enzymes and antioxidants in the piglet intestine.

The pathogenesis of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis is unknown, but a possible role for reactive oxygen metabolites has been postulated. We evaluated whether developmental differences exist in the levels of 1) the free radical-generating enzyme xanthine oxidase, 2) granulocyte peroxidase, an index of the resident granulo- cyte population, 3) free radical-scavenging enzymes (su- peroxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase), and 4) reduced glutathione, an endogenous antioxidant, in the ileal and colonic mucosa of 1-d-old, 3-d-old, 2-wk-old, and 1-mo-old piglets. We found no xanthine dehydrogen- aseloxidase activity in 1-d to 1-mo-old piglets. Mucosal granulocyte peroxidase activity was higher in older ani- mals, indicating that there was an age-dependent infiltra- tion of granulocytes (eosinophils, neutrophils) in the distal bowel. The peroxidase activity per circulating granulocyte, however, did not vary with age. Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly higher in 1-d-old piglets than in all older age groups; glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly lower in 1-d-old animals than that of older age groups. There was no detectable catalase activity in the mucosa when tissue was corrected for catalase activity of blood. Finally, ileal GSH levels were significantly lower in 1-d-old than in 2-wk-old and 1-mo-old animals, whereas colonic reduced glutathione activity did not differ among age groups. In conclusion, the distal bowel of the neonatal piglet appears to have a limited capacity to generate oxi- dants via xanthine oxidase and resident granulocytes. How- ever, the neonatal piglet intestine has a lower capacity to detoxify hydrogen peroxide than that of older animals.
Generation of human innate immune responses towards membrane macrophage colony stimulating factor (mM-CSF) expressing U251 glioma cells within immunodeficient (NIH-nu/beige/xid) mice.

Abstract The response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to cloned human HLA-A2+ U251 glioma cells (U251-2F11/TK) expressing membrane macrophage colony stimulating factor (mM-CSF) was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Enriched human monocytes derived from cancer patients produced a respiratory burst following 20 min of interaction with mM-CSF expressing U251 glioma cells. This respiratory burst response was not observed in the enriched human monocytes following similar exposure to the viral vector control U251 (U251-VV) cells. Reactive oxygen species such as H2O2 and HOCl produced death of the U251 cells. The U251-2F11/TK cells failed to grow in severely compromised combined immunodeficient (NIH-bg-nu-xidBR) mice that were depleted of murine monocyte/macrophages then reconstituted with human HLA-A2+ PBMC. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were produced by PBMC, both in vitro and in vivo in response to mM-CSF expressing U251 cells. U251-2F11/TK cells failed to form subcutaneous tumors in macrophage depleted mice reconstituted with human PBMC; whereas, progressive growth of such tumors was observed with the U251-VV cells. U251-2F11/TK tumors formed if the initial inoculums of PBMC were depleted of monocytes. From this work it can be concluded that mM-CSF transduced U251-2F11/TK glioma cells can safely stimulate human innate immune responses in vivo.
Development and Validation of Molecular Markers Closely Linked to H32 for Resistance to Hessian Fly in Wheat

Hessian fl y [Mayetiola destructor (Say)] is an important insect pest of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Host resistance conferred by H genes has been the most effective means to manage Hessian fl y populations. More than 32 H genes have been identifi ed in wheat and its relatives. In a previous study, Hessian fl y-resistance gene H32 was assigned to the chromosomal bin 3DL3–0.81–1.00, which also harbors H26. The objectives of this study were to develop and validate sequence-tagged site (STS) markers closely linked to H32 and to determine the genetic relationship between H26 and H32. In this study, 11 wheat EST-derived STS markers linked to H26 and three new STS markers were added to the linkage map of H32 using the International Triticeae Mapping Initiative (ITMI) population. Two of the STS markers, Xrwgs10 and Xrwgs12, were found to fl ank H32 with a genetic distance of 0.5 cM. Another STS marker Xrwgs11, co-segregated with H32. Molecular markers tightly linked to H32 were validated in 12 bread wheat cultivars and an elite breeding line, demonstrating the effi cacy of these markers for marker-assisted selection. Comparative mapping analysis indicated that H26 and H32 are either different alleles at the same gene locus or two different, but tightly linked H genes. Ongoing efforts to perform fi ne mapping and positional cloning of H26 will resolve the relationship between H26 and H32.
Sensitization of the Pigeon to Epinephrine-Induced Ventricular Fibrillation by a Substituted Propiophenone

The cardiac effects of a substituted propiophenone (U-0882) have been studied in the pigeon. The results obtained and the techniques used indicate that a simple test may be employed to evaluate the cardiac-sensitizing propensities of a compound. The test is based on the biological determination of the quantity of epinephrine required to induce ventricular fibrillation in pigeons which have been pretreated with a usually tolerated parenteral dose of the compound being tested.
Rapid Metabolic Failure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats After Middle Cerebral Artery Ligation

The metabolic characteristics of the penumbral region were examined in spontaneously hypertensive rats one hour after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. The effect of hyperglycemia on this region was examined by providing a glucose load prior to occlusion. The depressed concentrations of adenosine triphosphate and elevated levels of lactate in the penumbral region were similar to those found in the ischemic focus. The purported neuroprotective effect of hyperglycemia in the penumbral region was not reflected in an increased high-energy phosphate level in the penumbral region. The rapid deterioration of the metabolic status of this region in this strain of rat suggests that the increased consistency of infarction may come at the expense of the penumbral region, and thus this model may not be well suited for the study of metabolic changes and perhaps even therapeutic intervention.
Modulated Ventricular Parasystole and the Effects of Lidocaine in Acute Myocardial Infarction

A report of modulated ventricular parasystole is described in a patient presenting with acute myocardial infarction and classical (nonmodulated) ventricular parasystole. After infusion of intravenous lidocaine, the pattern of QRS distribution changed to one of modulated parasystole. This observation suggests that lidocaine altered the receptivity to electrotonic depolarizations and changed the slope of phase 4 depolarization.
Aging, chronic administration of ethanol, and acute exposure to nitrous oxide: effects on vitamin B12 and folate status in rats.

Abstract Elderly patients with alcoholism often require surgery and receive nitrous oxide (N 2 O) as a component of their anesthetic. Since aging, ethanol, and N 2 O may all perturb folate and/or vitamin B 12 metabolism, we examined the combined influence of these parameters on vitamin B 12 /folate status in a rodent model. Aged male Fischer 344 rats (24 months old) were given a liquid ethanol diet (35% of calories as ethanol) and control rats were pair-fed a liquid diet with carbohydrate substituting for the caloric content of ethanol. After receiving liquid diets for 7 weeks, rats were exposed to 60% N 2 O/40% O 2 for 6 h. Urinary excretion of formic acid, formiminoglutamic acid (FIGLU), and methylmalonic acid (MMA) were used as indirect markers of folate/vitamin B 12 status. In both the aged ethanol-fed and control groups, excretion of formic acid and FIGLU markedly increased the first day after N 2 O exposure and returned towards background values by the second day. No changes occurred in MMA excretion. Exposure to N 2 O decreased methionine synthase activities in liver, kidney and brain, and recovery of methionine synthase activities occurred over a period of 4 days in both the aged ethanol-fed and control groups. Ethanol treatment for 7 weeks combined with acute exposure to N 2 O did not deplete the aged rats of folate or vitamin B 12 in blood, liver, kidney or brain. Thus, in this animal model, aging, chronic ethanol administration, and acute N 2 O exposure did not act synergistically to produce prolonged and severe disturbances in folate and vitamin B 12 metabolism.
Data-driven and Memory-driven Selective Attention in Visual Search

The present experiment investigated Rabbitt's (1979) hypothesis that age differences in selective attention occur when memory-driven processing must be employed. Young and older adults performed a visual search task, which, on some trials, provided advance information (a cue) regarding the particular target letter most likely to appear in the display. The nature of the selectivity required by the cue was either data-driven (Condition 1) or memory-driven (Condition 2). Analyses of the benefit in search performance associated with the cued trials and of the cost in performance resulting from the presentation of misleading advance information yielded limited support for Rabbitt's hypothesis. The older adults, but not the young, did exhibit a smaller cuing benefit in Condition 2 than in Condition 1. Both age groups, however, demonstrated substantial benefits and costs within each condition. Age differences in selective attention are thus not determined completely by the requirement to use memory-driven processing.
Alpha-1-antitrypsin inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1

Several observations suggest the existence of potent endogenous suppressors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) production, and inhibitors of serine proteases may participate in this effect. Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) is the most abundant circulating serine protease inhibitor. Physiological AAT concentrations inhibited HIV-1 production in chronically infected U1 monocytic cells, reduced virus replication in freshly infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and blocked infection of permissive HeLa cells. In U1 cells, AAT suppressed activation of the HIV-1-inducing transcription factor NF-κB. Similar results were obtained using CE-2072, a synthetic inhibitor of host serine proteases. HIV-1 did not replicate in blood obtained from healthy volunteers, but marked replication was observed in blood from individuals with hereditary AAT deficiency. These results identify AAT as a candidate circulating HIV-1 inhibitor in vivo. Two different mechanisms of AAT-induced HIV-1 inhibition were identified, in...
Examining ethnomedical diagnoses and treatment choices for diarrheal disorders in Lubumbashi Swahili

This article examines the basis of ethnomedical classification of diarrheal disease among the Swahili speaking population of Lubumbashi, Zaire and the association of specific diagnoses with treatments given. Results from two research methods are reported: group interviews and large sample surveys. A series of group interviews with mothers of small children provided information about how they commonly diagnose illnesses related to childhood diarrheal disease as well as which symptoms, causes, and treatments they associate with those illnesses. Data from the interviews were used to formulate questions about the diagnosis of illness and treatments given for recent cases of diarrhea. A baseline and a follow‐up survey provided information about the symptoms associated with reported episodes of illness and about the treatments given at home. The results provide evidence that ethnomedical diagnoses are based on observed symptoms, that they affect how and why oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is used or not used for...
Estimating the covariance of bivariate order statistics with applications

Abstract In this note we develop a new analytic bootstrap-type method for estimating the covariance between the bivariate order statistics Xr:n and Ys:n. Correlation and regression estimators follow straightforward from this result. An easy-to-use method for calculating the nonparametric percentile confidence regions for bivariate quantiles is developed and illustrated using biological data. A specific case of interest is the application to bivariate medians, i.e., correlated marginal medians.
Efficient online validation with delta execution

Software systems are constantly changing. Patches to fix bugs and patches to add features are all too common. Every change risks breaking a previously working system. Hence administrators loathe change, and are willing to delay even critical security patches until after fully validating their correctness. Compared to off-line validation, on-line validation has clear advantages since it tests against real life workloads. Yet unfortunately it imposes restrictive overheads as it requires running the old and new versions side-by-side. Moreover, due to spurious differences (e.g. event timing, random number generation, and thread interleavings), it is difficult to compare the two for validation.To allow more effective on-line patch validation, we propose a new mechanism, called delta execution, that is based on the observation that most patches are small. Delta execution merges the two side-by-side executions for most of the time and splits only when necessary, such as when they access different data or execute different code. This allows us to perform on-line validation not only with lower overhead but also with greatly reduced spurious differences, allowing us to effectively validate changes.We first validate the feasibility of our idea by studying the characteristics of 240 patches from 4 server programs; our examination shows that 77% of the changes should not be expected to cause large changes and are thereby feasible for Delta execution. We then implemented Delta execution using dynamic instrumentation. Using real world patches from 7 server applications and 3 other programs, we compared our implementation of Delta execution against a traditional side-by-side on-line validation. Delta execution outperformed traditional validation by up to 128%; further, for 3 of the changes, spurious differences caused the traditional validation to fail completely while Delta execution succeeded. This demonstrates that Delta execution can allow administrators to use on-line validation to confidently ensure the correctness of the changes they apply.
Special Education's Role in Preparing Responsive Leaders for Inclusive Schools:

This article examines special education's role in preparing knowledgeable and skillful leaders for inclusive schools that strive to serve a wide range of students. Special education and educational leadership intersect, and the professional literature of both fields has been used to describe the work of school administration at their interface. A conceptual framework for special education leadership is presented, with suggestions for its use in planning cooperative leadership development. This analysis proceeds from the perspective that special education can add value to educational leadership preparation by articulating and communicating not only its legal requirements but the core principles that guide the meaningful education of learners with exceptionalities.
Double pulsed field gradient (double-PFG) MR imaging (MRI) as a means to measure the size of plant cells

Measurement of diffusion in porous materials and biological tissues with the pulsed field gradient (PFG) MR techniques has proven useful in characterizing the microstructure of such specimens noninvasively. A natural extension of the traditional PFG technique comprises multiple pairs of diffusion gradients. This approach has been shown to provide the ability to characterize anisotropy at different length scales without the need to employ very strong gradients. In this work, the double-PFG imaging technique was used on a specimen involving a series of glass capillary arrays with different diameters. The experiments on the phantom demonstrated the ability to create a quantitative and accurate map of pore sizes. The same technique was subsequently employed to image a celery stalk. A diffusion tensor image (DTI) of the same specimen was instrumental in accurately delineating the regions of vascular tissue and determining the local orientation of cells. This orientation information was incorporated into a theoretical double-PFG framework and the technique was employed to estimate the cell size in the vascular bundles of the celery stalk. The findings suggest that the double-PFG MRI framework could provide important new information regarding the microstructure of many plants and other food products.
Locally optimal detection of unknown signals in non-Gaussian Markov noise

The authors address the application of locally optimum (LO) signal detection techniques to environments in which there is no prior knowledge of the noise density and spectral properties. Specific algorithms are introduced, and the performance of these algorithms is examined. Unlike previous algorithms, these techniques place few assumptions on the properties of the noise, and they perform well under a wide variety of circumstances. The algorithms presented were tested using noise with Cauchy, Laplace, and Gaussian mixture density functions. In all cases the LO procedures showed significant improvement over the direct use of the magnitude of the DFT (discrete Fourier transform), at least for small signal levels. In general, the results were most dramatic when testing with noise densities with very heavy tails, such as the Cauchy and Gaussian mixture cases. >
Phenology, starch allocation, and environmental effects on Myriophyllum aquaticum

a b s t r a c t Seasonal biomass and starch allocation patterns were determined from natural populations of Myrio- phyllum aquaticum that were sampled monthly from January 2006 to December 2007 in Mississippi. Water temperature, water depth, light irradiance, light transmittance, pH, and conductivity were also recorded during biomass harvests. Overall, few significant relationships were observed between the environmental factors tested and seasonal biomass. Submersed shoot biomass was negatively related (p < 0.01) with water temperature. Stolons accounted for 40-95% of total biomass followed by emergent shoot, submersed shoot, and root biomass. Percent starch in plant tissues was positively related to water temperature. Starch allocation was greatest in stolons where up to 16.3% of total starch was stored. Sub- mersed shoots stored 0.6-11.0% of total starch followed by emergent shoots (0.4-7%). The roots of M. aquaticum stored less than 3.8% of total starch throughout the study period. Reduced biomass and starch storage occurred from October to March in both 2006 and 2007. Management strategies for this species could utilize an integrated approach to exploit times of low energy reserves (fall and winter), or to remove emergent shoots to gain access to the stolons and other submersed tissues.
Arabidopsis PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR7 Is a Signaling Intermediate in Phytochrome-Regulated Seedling Deetiolation and Phasing of the Circadian Clock

To identify new components in the phytochrome (phy) signaling network in Arabidopsis, we used a sensitized genetic screen for deetiolation-defective seedlings. Two allelic mutants were isolated that exhibited reduced sensitivity to both continuous red and far-red light, suggesting involvement in both phyA and phyB signaling. The molecular lesions responsible for the phenotype were shown to be mutations in the Arabidopsis PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR7 (PRR7) gene. PRR7 is a member of a small gene family in Arabidopsis previously suggested to be involved in circadian rhythms. A PRR7–β-glucuronidase fusion protein localized to the nucleus, implying a possible function in the regulation of photoresponsive gene expression. Consistent with this suggestion, prr7 seedlings were partially defective in the regulation of the rapidly light-induced genes CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY), observable as a premature increase in expression level during the second peak of the biphasic induction profile that is elicited upon initial exposure of dark-grown seedlings to light. A similar 3- to 6-h coordinated advance in peak free-running expression of CCA1, LHY, and TIMING-OF-CAB1, which are considered to encode the molecular components of the circadian oscillator in Arabidopsis, was observed in entrained fully green prr7 seedlings compared with wild-type seedlings. Collectively, these data suggest that PRR7 functions as a signaling intermediate in the phytochrome-regulated gene expression responsible for both seedling deetiolation and phasing of the circadian clock in response to light.
From the Ouchless Place to Comfort Central: The Evolution of a Concept

Although the past 20 years have yielded an outpouring of research on pain management in children, this information is often not applied uniformly to children in the hospital. To address this deficiency, we developed a systematic institution-wide program to reduce pain in all children in the hospital. Our goal was to create a setting in which attention to pain control and comfort measures would be inherent in all inpatient encounters. We labeled the inpatient unit in which this concept evolved as the "Ouchless Place" and described the program and its development in a 1997 Pediatrics article. In this article we describe the further evolution of that concept in light of the broader changes that have occurred in the field of pain management and in our community. The development of a new children's hospital allowed us to examine what we had learned from our previous experience and modify our program on the basis of that review. This new initiative was renamed "Comfort Central," recognizing that although no inpatient experience could be entirely "ouchless," we could still pledge to families that we were attentive to pain and would provide the most comfort that we could. Specific changes that were put in place in our model included the acquisition of administrative authority to mandate change; the extension of our program to the laboratory, outpatient clinics, and physician offices; the incorporation of newer, more active educational models; increased emphasis on collaboration with other services; increased visibility of pain-relief efforts; and development of an ongoing quality improvement program that monitors the efficacy of pain-relief initiatives in the institution. The elements of this program may be applicable to other health care systems that desire to develop a more cohesive system-wide approach to pain reduction in those for whom they provide care.
Mie scattering into the backward hemisphere

In many applications of Mie scattering, the integral of the scattered flux over the backward hemisphere is needed. The integration can be done analytically; the formula for Mie scattering into the backward hemisphere is derived.
Racial Stratification in the Actuation of Mobility Expectations: Microlevel Impacts of Racially Restrictive Housing Markets

This research uses data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine racial differences in the ability to translate mobility expectations into a residential move. The results indicate that, despite similar mobility expectations, black householders are significantly less likely than white householders to translate their expectations into a residential move. Supporting the stratification perspective, this racial difference persists when a variety of individual and contextual characteristics are controlled. Furthermore, higher income appears to enhance the ability of white but not black householders to convert their mobility expectations into a move. Supplemental analyses suggest that this racial stratification does not reflect poorer planning on the part of blacks and that this racial disparity helps to explain existing racial differences in the ability to escape poor neighborhoods.
The More We Know, the More We See The Role of Visuality in Media Literacy

The role of visual perception in media literacy is paramount in understanding the shift from a linear perceptual process (literacy) to a holistic perceptual process (visuality) by which almost all ...
Stealthy Footsteps to the Boardroom: Executives' Backgrounds, Sophisticated Interpersonal Influence Behavior, and Board Appointments:

Drawing from theory and research on interpersonal attraction, as well as interviews with 42 directors of large U.S. industrial and service firms, we identified a set of social influence tactics tha...
Learning from examples: generation and evaluation of decision trees for software resource analysis

A general solution method for the automatic generation of decision (or classification) trees is investigated. The approach is to provide insights through in-depth empirical characterization and evaluation of decision trees for one problem domain, specifically, that of software resource data analysis. The purpose of the decision trees is to identify classes of objects (software modules) that had high development effort, i.e. in the uppermost quartile relative to past data. Sixteen software systems ranging from 3000 to 112000 source lines have been selected for analysis from a NASA production environment. The collection and analysis of 74 attributes (or metrics), for over 4700 objects, capture a multitude of information about the objects: development effort, faults, changes, design style, and implementation style. A total of 9600 decision trees are automatically generated and evaluated. The analysis focuses on the characterization and evaluation of decision tree accuracy, complexity, and composition. The decision trees correctly identified 79.3% of the software modules that had high development effort or faults, on the average across all 9600 trees. The decision trees generated from the best parameter combinations correctly identified 88.4% of the modules on the average. Visualization of the results is emphasized, and sample decision trees are included. >
Design of Polarization De-Multiplexer and PMD Compensator for 112 Gb/s Direct-Detect PDM RZ-DQPSK Systems

The design of a polarization de-multiplexer and a polarization mode dispersion compensator (PMDC) for direct-detect polarization division multiplexed (PDM) return-to-zero differential quadrature phase shift keying (RZ-DQPSK) systems are studied in detail. The impact of polarization dependent loss is studied in polarization de-multiplexers with different error detection configurations for both bit-aligned and bit-interleaved PDM systems. The level of the clock frequency of the combined pulse train of the two polarizations is proposed as the error signal for the PMDC. It enables the PMDC to work in the cancellation mode. Two separate control loops are proposed for the polarization de-multiplexer and the PMDC to allow them to work independently. The DGD tolerances for the one-stage and two-stage PMDC are measured and discussed. Finally the glitch problem in the polarization tuning algorithm is studied. An advanced dithering algorithm and the corresponding architecture of the polarization controller are proposed to solve the glitch problem.
Stateful publish-subscribe for mobile environments

The Publish-Subscribe paradigm has become an important architectural style for designing distributed systems. In the recent years, we have been witnessing an increasing demand for supporting publish-subscribe for mobile systems in wireless environments. In this paper we present SUBLIM, a stateful model for publish-subscribe systems, which is suitable for mobile systems. In our system, the server maintains a state for each client, which contains variables that describe the properties of particular clients, such as the quality of the connection or the battery utilization. The interest of each subscriber can be expressed in terms of these variables. Based on the subscriber interests, an associated agent is created on the server. The agent filters the data that reach the subscriber based on the content of the message and the current subscriber state. Experimental results show good performance and scalability of our approach.
Creep behavior in SiC whisker-reinforced alumina composite

Reinforcement by discontinuous whiskers or continuous fibers resulted in substantial improvements in fracture toughness and damage tolerance of ceramic-based composites over conventional monolithic ceramics. For instance, the addition of SiC whiskers led to substantial enhancements in fracture, slow crack growth, thermal shock, and static/cyclic fatigue resistances of monolithic aluminas.1–5 The increased toughness in these ceramic composites is derived from the operative toughening mechanisms of fiber/whisker bridging and pullout behind the crack tip.6 In addition, research also showed that the alumina composites retained their strength and fracture toughness to temperatures of 1000 – 1100°C in an oxidizing environment.3 This was also coupled with the much superior resistance to elevated-temperature delayed failure and creep deformation in alumina composites as compared with polycrystalline fine-grained aluminas.3, 7 These excellent mechanical properties indicate that the alumina-SiC composites exhibit potential for high-temperature structural applications.