cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Evaluation of Zidovudine (AZT)-Loaded Ethylcellulose Microspheres After Oral Administration in Beagle Dogs

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vivo performance of sustained-release zidovudine (AZT) microspheres after oral administration in Beagle dogs, and to establish an in vitro–in vivo correlation. Two AZT microsphere formulations as well as AZT powder were administered to four Beagle dogs. Plasma samples were analyzed by HPLC. The plasma concentration–time data was analyzed by both compartmental and noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analyses. Based on the calculated pharmacokinetic parameters, in vivo release profiles were simulated and compared with in vitro release profiles in three different release media. Significantly longer mean residence time (MRT) was observed after administration of the sustained-release microspheres compared with AZT powder. Significantly lower maximum (Cmax) concentration values and longer times to Cmax (tmax) values were also observed. Formulation I showed the longest MRT (4.4 h). AZT plasma concentration was maintained above the minimum effective concentration for ∼10 h after administration of Formulation I. The relative bioavailability of the microsphere formulations with respect to AZT powder was not significantly different from 1. The in vitro release of the three formulations was slower in simulated gastric fluid compared with simulated intestinal fluid. The addition of enzymes and mucin to the release media significantly lowered the in vitro release rate of AZT from the microspheres formulations, but not from AZT powder. A good level of in vitro–in vivo correlation (Level A correlation) was achieved with a release medium that was composed of simulated gastric fluid with pepsin and mucin for 2 h followed by simulated intestinal fluid with pancreatin and mucin for 8 h. This in vitro model may be used to predict the in vivo release of AZT, in the further development of controlled-release AZT formulations.
The Machine in the Garden of Desire

At the end of their article, Earp, Sandberg, and Savulescu (2014) argue that commenters need to take seriously the moral status of the project, and suggest that it would be more productive to focus...
Symptom Predictability in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Role of Proton Pump Inhibitor Test

There are problems with the definition, assessment, and measurement of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Reflux Disease Questionnaire and the GERD questionnaire are patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures for use in a primary care setting, which are easy to use and are validated. There is no widely accepted definition of a proton pump inhibitor test and performance of the test in the clinical setting is not standardized. The use of the PRO measures in primary care with predetermined cutoff values may help to reduce the cost of diagnosing GERD and increasing rates of response for evaluated patients to acid suppression.
Brevetoxin derivatives that inhibit toxin activity

Abstract Background: The brevetoxins are marine neurotoxins that interfere with the normal functions of the voltage-gated Na + channel. We have identified two brevetoxin derivatives that do not exhibit pharmacological properties typical of the brevetoxins and that function as brevetoxin antagonists. Results: PbTx-3 and benzoyl-PbTx-3 elicited Na + channel openings during steady-state depolarizations; however, two PbTx-3 derivatives retained their ability to bind to the receptor, but did not elicit Na + channel openings. α-Naphthoyl-PbTx-3 acted as a PbTx-3 antagonist but did not affect Na + channels that were not exposed to PbTx-3. β-Naphthoyl-PbTx-3 reduced openings of Na + channels that were not exposed to PbTx-3. Conclusions: Some modifications to the brevetoxin molecule do not alter either the binding properties or the activity of these toxins. Larger modifications to the K-ring sidechain do not interfere with binding but have profound effects on their pharmacological properties. This implies a critical function for the K-ring sidechain of the native toxin.
Spinal cord noradrenergic neurons are activated in hypotension

Although norepinephrine-containing nerve terminals in the spinal cord synapse in the vicinity of sympathetic preganglionic cells, their effect on sympathetic outflow has remained unclear. Since survival during hypotension necessitates sustaining maximal sympathetic activity, we used experimental hypotension as a physiological stimulus to determine whether such activity is associated with an increase or a decrease in spinal cord norepinephrine turnover. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (500 g) were anesthetized with chloralose and urethane and their left carotid arteries were cannulated for blood pressure measurements and blood removal. Control animals remained normotensive during the 1-h study period; hypotensive animals were bled to a 50 mm Hg systolic pressure. Catecholamine release, as indicated by methoxyhydroxyphenylethyleneglycol sulfate (MHPG-SO4) concentrations, was greater in spinal cords of hypotensive rats than in normotensive controls. Apparent catecholamine synthesis also increased: norepinephrine concentrations did not change even though those of MHPG-SO4 doubled and the accumulation of dihydroxyphenylalanine (in other animals pretreated with NSD 1015) also doubled. These studies show that catecholamine-containing neurons in the spinal cord are stimulated in hypotension, and suggest that they may function physiologically to increase sympathetic outflow and thus blood pressure.
Redox modulation of benzene triimides and diimides via noncovalent interactions.

Mellitic triimides undergo three sequential one-electron reduction processes whose potentials are significantly lowered in the presence of alkyl thioureas. The two sequential reductions of benzene ...
Far-field and near-field analysis of light reflected from a photonic crystal

Multiple-scattering calculations of a plane wave reflected from a photonic crystal are presented under the assumption that the incident wavelength is larger than the size of the dielectric elements that constitute the crystal. After decomposing the reflected wave into its propagating and evanescent modes, we find that both the lattice constant and the size of the dielectric elements can be derived from the propagating modes but only the former quantity can be reliably obtained from the evanescent modes, implying that an examination of the waves in the far-field region alone yields practically most of the information about the crystal under the present assumption. One method to measure the size of the dielectric elements in the far-field region is also proposed.
Maturation-induction of tumor cells using a human colon carcinoma model

The establishment of a maturation-induction model using human colon cancer cells as targets is reported. Two colon carcinoma cell lines were established from human tumors; one line was heterogeneous and was cloned into two distinct subpopulations. Cells from these lines and clones and cells from an established human colon carcinoma cell line were treated in vitro with N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and were compared to untreated cells according to two general sets of criteria. One set contains characteristics that define a cell as transformed (i.e., anchorage independence and tumorigenicity for nude mice), and the second set contains three antigenic marker systems that would provide evidence that maturation is occurring in treated human colon cancer cells. These colon tissue-or tumor-related markers include carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), colonic mucoprotein antigen (CMA), and the human blood group determinants. DMF-treated cells are less malignant than untreated cells; the treated cells show a marked reduction in tumorigenicity and in clonogenicity in soft agar. Each of the markers indicates that the treated cells are better differentiated than their untreated counterparts. For example, treated cells show increased expression of normal-CMA and decreased expression of tumor-CMA compared to untreated cells. Cells removed from DMF reverted to express the tumorigenicity, growth properties, and antigens characteristic of their untreated counterparts. Therefore, DMF reversibly induces in cultured colon cancer cells a less malignant phenotype with concomitant maturational effects. These results indicate that this model is appropriate for study of maturation-induction in human colon tumor cells, and has potential application to other types of human carcinomas.
Characterization of vacuolar arginine uptake and amino acid efflux in Neurospora crassa using cupric ion to permeabilize the plasma membrane.

Abstract Treatment ofNeurospora crassamycelia with cupric ion has been shown to permeabilize the plasma and mitochondrial membranes. Permeabilized mycelia were shown to take up arginine into the vacuoles. Uptake was ATP-independent and appeared to be driven by an existing K+-gradient. The kinetic characteristics of the observed uptake were similar to those observed using vacuolar membrane vesicles: theKmfor arginine uptake was found to be 4.2–4.5 mM. Permeabilized mycelia were used to study the regulation of arginine uptake into vacuoles. The results suggest that uptake is relatively indifferent to the contents of the vacuoles and is not affected by growth of mycelia in amino acid-supplemented medium. Efflux of arginine, lysine, and ornithine from vacuoles was also measured using mycelia permeabilized with cupric ion. Arginine release was shown to be specifically enhanced by cytosolic ornithine and/or increases in the vacuolar pool of arginine or ornithine. Lysine efflux was shown be indifferent to the presence of other amino acids. These observations emphasize the importance of vacuolar compartmentation in controlling arginine and ornithine metabolism and suggest that vacuolar compartmentation may play an important role in nitrogen homeostasis of filamentous fungi.
HIGHEST LEVEL AUTOMATISMS IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: A THEORY OF FUNCTIONAL PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE HIGHEST FORMS OF BRAIN FUNCTION

Abstract A concept that all hierarchical levels of the nervous system are built according to the same functional principles is proposed. Each level is responsible for a discrete type or set of automatisms, is a learning system, and contains two distinct functional subdivisions: (1) a controller, a subsystem providing a governing set of rules or commands — a control law — that directs the action of the recipient of these rules — the controlled object; and (2) a model, a subsystem that generates a model of object behavior, i.e. afferent information flow expected from the controlled object. A control system such as this receives two types of afferent signals — initiating and informational. The difference between these signals is that a control system minimizes initiating signals during the realization of an automatism, i.e. a control neural network utilizes informational signals to compute the proper output that minimizes the initiating input signal. A mismatch or error signal, a type of initiating signal, is responsible for learning. Both the control law and the model can be adjusted during learning. The learning process starts when the error signal increases and stops when it is minimized. A network hierarchy is structurally and functionally organized in such a way that a lower control system in the nervous system becomes the controlled object for a higher one. This hierarchy leads to a generalization of encoded functional parameters and, consequently, the working space for each higher level control system becomes more abstracted. This is the reason why each hierarchical level within the control nervous system uses detectors specific for feature of the controlled object and the environment that match the control needs in order to obtain information about the current state of the object in the environment. Movement of information toward higher hierarchical levels also is accompanied by an increase in the duration of initiating signals within each control system. The ability to store a long prehistory of preceding events is considered as the mechanism that necessitated the invention of more complex and more rapid forms of learning such as operant learning, and made possible more complex multistep computational algorithms that require memorization of the results of previous intermediate computations. The functions of the cerebellum, the limbic system and the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical loops are analyzed to illustrate the utility and applicability of this theoretical concept. Basal ganglia-thalamocortical loops are described as modeling, predictive loops, and their dopaminergic innervation as an error distribution system. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Adaptive Connection Strength Models for Relationship-Based Entity Resolution

Entity Resolution (ER) is a data quality challenge that deals with ambiguous references in data and whose task is to identify all references that co-refer. Due to practical significance of the ER problem, many creative ER techniques have been proposed in the past, including those that analyze relationships that exist among entities in data. Such approaches view the database as an entity-relationship graph, where direct and indirect relationships correspond to paths in the graph. These techniques rely on measuring the connection strength among various nodes in the graph by using a connection strength (CS) model. While such approaches have demonstrated significant advantage over traditional ER techniques, currently they also have a significant limitation: the CS models that they use are intuition-based fixed models that tend to behave well in general, but are very generic and not tuned to a specific domain, leading to suboptimal result quality. Hence, in this article we propose an approach that employs supervised learning to adapt the connection strength measure to the given domain using the available past/training data. The adaptive approach has several advantages: it increases both the quality and efficiency of ER and it also minimizes the domain analyst participation needed to tune the CS model to the given domain. The extensive empirical evaluation demonstrates that the proposed approach reaches up to 8p higher accuracy than the graph-based ER methods that use fixed and intuition-based CS models.
Photo-induced transition to additional symmetry broken state in cuprate superconductors

Abstract The high Tc cuprate superconductors are found to exhibit both d( x 2 − y 2 ) and s-wave pairing symmetry. The possibility of radiation-induced development of a small d( xy ) component of the superconducting order parameter with the breaking of time reversal and parity symmetry in some cuprate superconductors is suggested.
Structure of the 1:1 Cycloadduct Formed via Thermal Reaction of Cyclopentadiene with Hexacyclo [10.2.1.02,11.04,9.04,14.09,13]pentadeca-5,7-diene-3,10-dione†

Abstract The structure of the 1:1 cycloadduct which is formed via thermal reaction of cyclopentadiene (CPD) with hexacyclo[10.2.1.02,11.04,9.04,14.09,13]pentadeca-5,7-diene-3,10-dione (1) has been shown unequivocally to possess structure 3b via application of X-ray crystallographic methods. The results of semiempirical MO calculations (AM1 Hamiltonian), taken together with MMX calculational results and conclusions that arise via FMO-based arguments, suggest that electronic and steric effects each may play an important role in directing the course of the cycloaddition reactions studied herein.
Making the Most of Adolescence: Harnessing the Search for Identity to Understand Classroom Belonging

This qualitative study investigated the relationship between adolescents' sense of school belonging and opportunities to integrate aspects of their identity with their 9th-grade English assignments. The study provided evidence of a positive relationship between these two experiences for an ethnically diverse group of students. Moreover, issues of identity (connections made with issues that were important to the self, connections with their background, and the ability to make themselves known) contributed significantly to belonging. Students' sense of connection and engagement in their classroom was supported while they participated in activities designed to encourage curricular connections with their identity and culture.
THE EFFECT OF BURNING OF NATIVE PASTURE ON SOIL TEMPERATURE IN NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

Thermocouples were used to measure temperatures at shallow depths (top 39 mm) in soils during late winter burning of hayed-off native pasture. Different intensities of burning were investigated. The maximum temperature recorded for any treatment was 75–5°C, at 1 mm below the soil surface, and marked temperature rises were recorded only in the upper 10 mm of the soil. The results suggest that the temperature rise induced by burning would have little direct effect on soil organic matter, the microbial populations, or buried seeds. The possible significance of these results in practice is discussed.
How Variations in Social Structure Affect Different Types of Intergroup Bias and Different Dimensions of Social Identity in a Multi-Intergroup Setting:

An experimental paradigm was used to examine how manipulations of group status (higher, equal, or lower) and group size (smaller, equal, or larger) affect positive allocation bias, negative allocat...
Trauma and Violent Delinquent Behavior among Males: The Moderating Role of Social Support

ABSTRACT This study investigated the moderating role of social support (i.e., “having anyone to count on”) on the relationship between male youths' exposure to violence and other stressful life events and their violent behavior. Self-report interviews from a nationally representative sample of male adolescents aged 12 to 17 and their caretakers were used to assess youths' lifetime exposure to violence (i.e., being a victim and/or witness to physically abusive punishment, physical assault, sexual assault, and witnessing violence), past-year stressful life events (i.e., the loss of positively valued stimuli and the blockage of positively valued goals), levels of social support, and their violent offending behavior. Having someone to count on buffered the impact of being a victim of physical abuse and witnessing violence on violent offending. Potentially confounding variables, such as age, race/ethnicity, social class, family structure, geographic location, negative affect, and delinquent peer exposure were ...
Unusual chemical reactivity in the reactions of Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(μ-η1,η2-CHCHBu) with 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)maleic anhydride (bma) and Re2(CO)8(bma) with Ni(cod)2: X-ray diffraction structures of Re2(CO)8(bma), zwitterionic Re(CO)4[Re(CO)4(bma)], and the phosphido-bridged complex Re2(CO)8[μ-η1,η1-(O)](μ-PPh2)

Abstract The reaction between Re2(CO)8(μ-H)(ν-η1,η2-CHCHBu) (1) and the diphosphine ligand 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)maleic anhydride (bma) proceeds slowly at room temperature to furnish the expected dirhenium compound Re2(CO)8(bma) (2) and the zwitterionic compound Re(CO)4[Re(CO)4(bma)] (3). Both 2 and 3 have been isolated and characterized in solution by IR and 31P NMR spectroscopy, in addition to X-ray crystallography. The solid-state structure of 2 reveals a bridging bma ligand that spans the Re–Re vector and whose Re(CO)4 moieties exhibit a staggered rotational geometry. 3 consists of a Re(CO)4 unit that is coordinated to the bma ligand in a chelating fashion by the two PPh2 moieties, with the other Re(CO)4 unit being π-bound to the alkene bond of the bma ligand. Thermolysis of Re2(CO)8(bma) in the presence of added Ni(cod)2 affords the phosphido-bridged complex Re2(CO)8[μ-η1,η1- (O)](μ-PPh2) (4), whose identity has been established by solution spectroscopic methods and X-ray diffraction analysis. The redox properties of Re2(CO)8(bma) have been examined in detailed by cyclic voltammetry and constant-potential coulometry, where two fully reversible, one-electron reductions (0/1− and 1−/2−) were observed at E1/2=−0.38 V and E1/2=−1.29 V in CH2Cl2. The reduction behavior is discussed relative to the nature of the LUMO level, which has been determined by extended Huckel MO calculations. The redox chemistry and the LUMO in Re2(CO)8(bma) are contrasted with the known redox chemistry and the LUMO composition of the mononuclear species BrRe(CO)3(bma) and related bma-substituted complexes. The MO calculations on Re(CO)4[Re(CO)4(bma)] (3) reveal that the HOMO and LUMO levels are formed from the HOMO of the d8-ML4 fragment Re(CO)4− and its interaction with the ψ4π* antibonding MO of the bma ligand on the [Re(CO)4(bma)]+ fragment.
A unidimensional item response model for unfolding responses from a graded disagree-agree response scale

Binary or graded disagree-agree responses to atti tude items are often collected for the purpose of attitude measurement. Although such data are sometimes ana lyzed with cumulative measurement models, recent studies suggest that unfolding models are more appro priate (Roberts, 1995; van Schuur & Kiers, 1994). Ad vances in item response theory (IRT) have led to the development of several parametric unfolding models for binary data (Andrich, 1988; Andrich & Luo, 1993; Hoijtink, 1991); however, IRT models for unfolding graded responses have not been proposed. A parametric IRT model for unfolding either binary or graded re sponses is developed here. The graded unfolding model (GUM) is a generalization of Andrich & Luo's hyperbolic cosine model for binary data. A joint maximum likeli hood procedure was implemented to estimate GUM pa rameters, and a subsequent recovery simulation showed that reasonably accurate estimates could be obtained with minimal data demands (e.g., as few as 100 respon dents and 15 to 20 ...
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATIONS OF 1,2-DIMETHOXYPROPANE AND 1,2-DIMETHOXYETHANE IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

We report on the thermodynamic properties, conformations, and local structure of aqueous solutions of 1,2-dimethoxypropane (DMP) as a function of composition and temperature as obtained from molecu...
DIRECT FLUORINATION OF ARYL KETONE HYDRAZONES

Abstract The hydrazones of benzophenone, acetophenone, and deoxybenzoin react with dilute fluorine to produce intermediate diazo compounds which react further with the fluorine or nascent hydrogen fluoride to give geminal difluoro or monofluoro derivatives respectively of the starting hydrazones. The fluorination procedure has been applied to two biological systems, 1 and 2, with their conversion to monofluoro compounds 3 and 4.
Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

Investigators have long been interested in the human propensity for the rapid detection of threatening stimuli. However, until recently, research in this domain has focused almost exclusively on adult participants, completely ignoring the topic of threat detection over the course of development. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of developmental work in this area is likely the absence of a reliable paradigm that can measure perceptual biases for threat in children. To address this issue, we recently designed a modified visual search paradigm similar to the standard adult paradigm that is appropriate for studying threat detection in preschool-aged participants. Here we describe this new procedure. In the general paradigm, we present participants with matrices of color photographs, and ask them to find and touch a target on the screen. Latency to touch the target is recorded. Using a touch-screen monitor makes the procedure simple and easy, allowing us to collect data in participants ranging from 3 years of age to adults. Thus far, the paradigm has consistently shown that both adults and children detect threatening stimuli (e.g., snakes, spiders, angry/fearful faces) more quickly than neutral stimuli (e.g., flowers, mushrooms, happy/neutral faces). Altogether, this procedure provides an important new tool for researchers interested in studying the development of attentional biases for threat.
Direct Silver to Copper Bonding Process

A novel process of bonding silver (Ag) foils to copper (Cu) substrates has been developed. This direct bonding method does not use any intermediate layer in between. An important application of this process is electronic packaging where semiconductor device chips are bonded to Cu substrates or Cu electrodes fabricated on substrates. Cu is chosen as the major material for substrates and electrodes due to its high electrical and thermal conductivities, high strength, adequate rigidity, easiness in forging and machining, and low cost. On the other hand, Cu has a large mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion with most semiconductors, particularly with silicon. This makes it very difficult to bond large device chips to Cu substrates with a metallic joint. We thus design the Ag-cladded Cu structure to overcome this difficulty. Ag is quite soft and ductile. It can function as a strain buffer between the semiconductor chip and the Cu substrate. Ag also has superior physical properties. It has the highest electrical and thermal conductivities among all metals. In the beginning, we used an electroplating process to produce Ag-cladded Cu substrates. However, it is time consuming and costly to electroplate thick Ag layers. To obtain thick Ag layers (more than 200μm), this new laminating process is developed. The Ag foil is laminated to the Cu substrate directly with a static load of 1000psi at 250°C in a 50mtorr vacuum to suppress oxidation. No bonding medium is used. Scanning electron microscopy images on cross sections of bonded samples exhibit a perfect Ag–Cu bond.
Serial Electrocardiograms for Chest Pain Patients with Initial Nondiagnostic Electrocardiograms: Implications for Thrombolytic Therapy

Objectives: To determine the proportion of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients without ST–segment elevation who subsequently develop ST–segment elevation during their hospital courses; and to compare demographics and presenting features of AMI patient subgroups: those with initial ST–segment elevation, those with in–hospital ST–segment elevation, and those with no ST–segment elevation. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of admitted chest pain patients who had a hospital discharge diagnosis of AM1 was performed. Each chart was examined for initial ECG interpretation, serial ECG analysis, patient age, gender, cardiac risk factors, in-hospital survival, time between sequential ECGs, and number of ECGs performed within the first 48 hours of hospital admission. Results: Of the 114 charts reviewed, 20 patients had ECGs meeting thrombolytic criteria on arrival. Of the 94 AM1 patients who had nondiagnostic ECGs on arrival, 19 (20%) subsequently developed ECG changes meeting thrombolytic criteria. Seven patients developed these changes within eight hours of the initial ECG, four from eight to 12 hours after, two from 12 to 24 hours after, and six more than 24 hours after. Most patients who had documented AMIs did not develop ECG criteria for thrombolytic therapy during their hospitalizations. Male gender and smoking history were more commonly associated with late ST-segment elevation for those presenting with nondiagnostic ECGs. All the patients who had late diagnostic ECG changes survived to hospital discharge. Serial ECGs were performed more frequently in the group who had initially diagnostic ECGs and least frequently in the group who did not develop ST-segment elevation during their hospitalizations. Conclusions: Most patients with AM1 do not meet ECG criteria for the administration of thrombolytic therapy. A significant minority (20%) of the admitted chest pain patients with subsequently confirmed AMIs developed ECG criteria for thrombolytics during their hospitalizations. Further attention to such patients who have delayed ST-segment elevation is warranted. A standardized in-hospital serial ECG protocol should be considered to identify admitted patients who develop criteria for thrombolytic or other coronary revascularization therapy.
Modeling heavy-tailed correlated noise with wavelet packet basis functions

Empirical Bayes (EB) methods are used to model correlated and heavy-tailed time series background noise. Background noise is modeled as a multiband Student's t process and estimates of the degree of freedom parameters and scaling parameters at each subband are used to characterize the background clutter. We compare this model with a multiband Gaussian model to demonstrate its robustness and accuracy with both underwater acoustic and seismic recordings. We demonstrate the usefulness of this model as a means of parameter estimation for wavelet packet denoising by applying the model to ocean acoustic recordings of whale calls and ground motion measurements of quarry blast explosions.
The long-term prognostic value of the ST depression criteria for ischemia recommended in the universal definition of myocardial infarction in 43,661 veterans.

Abstract Background The third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (UDMI) includes electrocardiographic criteria for ischemia, specifying horizontal or down-sloping ST depression ≥0.05mV in two contiguous electrocardiogram (ECG) leads. We used the surrogate of cardiovascular (CV) death to evaluate the criteria. Methods We collected computerized ST amplitude measurements, in different lead groupings, from the resting ECGs of 43,661 patients collected between 1987 and 1999 at the Palo Alto VA. There were 3929 (9.0%) cardiac deaths over a mean follow-up of 7.6 (SD 3.8) years. Results We found that horizontal or down-sloping ST depressions in contiguous leads, depending upon the lead groupings, had sensitivities ranging from 1% to 5%, specificities exceeding 99%, and relative risks for CV death ranging from 3.1 to 7.0 ( p Conclusion These findings reinforce and further characterize the value of ST depressions for predicting CV death. Furthermore, if these findings can be reproduced in the acute setting, they would undermine the requirement for contiguous lead depressions with slope assessment as well as prioritize ST depression in V4, V5, and V6 when assessing for myocardial ischemia.
Responses to constant work rate bicycle ergometry exercise in primary pulmonary hypertension: the effect of inhaled nitric oxide.

Abstract OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the responses of patients with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) to constant work rate exercise and to examine the effect of nitric oxide (NO) inhalation. BACKGROUND Maximal exercise tolerance is reduced in PPH, but gas exchange responses to constant work rate exercise have not been defined. We hypothesized that increased pulmonary vascular resistance in PPH would reduce the rate of rise of minute oxygen consumption in response to a given work rate. Because NO may lower pulmonary vascular pressures in PPH, we also postulated that inhaled NO might ameliorate gas exchange abnormalities. METHODS Nine PPH patients and nine matched normal subjects performed 6-min duration constant work rate cycle ergometry exercise (33.9 ± 13.4 W). Patients performed two experiments: breathing air and breathing air with NO (20 ppm). Preexercise right ventricular systolic pressure was assessed by Doppler echocardiography. Normal subjects performed the air experiment only. Gas exchange and heart rate responses were characterized by fitting monoexponential curves. RESULTS In PPH patients, resting right ventricular systolic pressure fell after NO inhalation (from 83.8 ± 16.9 to 73.9 ± 21.6 mm Hg, p CONCLUSIONS The cardiac output response is impaired in PPH. Nitric oxide lowered pulmonary artery pressure at rest, but failed to improve exercise gas exchange responses.
The power of notation: modeling pointer operations

A system of notations for tracing programs devised by the author is shown to be of use in modeling operations on pointers. Typical examples using linked lists are provided.
Wigner crystallization in the fractional quantum Hall regime: A variational quantum Monte Carlo study

Using a variational quantum Monte Carlo method, we study the two-dimensional Wigner crystal induced by a strong magnetic field in the fractional quantum Hall effect regime. Effects of exchange, intra-Landau-level correlation, and inter-Landau-level mixing on the total energy and their dependence on the carrier mass and magnetic field strength are calculated. Our results support that the recently observed reentrant behavior to an insulating phase around \ensuremath{\nu}=1/3 in p-doped GaAs/AlGaAs is a consequence of an increased stability of the Wigner crystal due to the effects of Landau-level mixing.
Allotropic transitions of neptunium and plutonium determined using differential thermal analysis

Abstract Temperatures and enthalpies of transition for Np and Pu have been determined using differential thermal analysis. The resuts for Np are α → β 282°C, 4.73 kJ mol ; β → γ 583°C, 2.99 kj mol ; and γ → l 644° C, 3.19 kJ mol . A comparison of the results obtained for Pu with those previously reported by others shows the accuracy of the technique. A value of 18.4 g cm 3 for the density of γ-Np at 583 °C was calculated from the measured heat and the pressure variation of the transition [1]. Additional evidence for a fourth allotrope of Np is presented.
Ion-Selectivity of Externally Facing Na+-Exclusive and Na+/K+-Shared Sites in the Na/K-Pump

The Na/K-pump extrudes 3 Na+ in exchange for 2 K+ across the plasmalemma of animal cells. Two-out-of-three ion binding sites in the protein can be occupied by either Na+ or K+, whereas another site exclusively binds Na+. At maximally activating [K+o], Na+o binding to the Na+-exclusive site (first site to open in sequential Na+ release) is manifested as [Na+o]- and voltage-dependent inhibition of outwardly-directed (due to the 3:2 stoichoimetry) pump current (IP). Guanidinium+ can also backward-transit this Na+-release channel inhibiting IP at negative voltages (Yaragatupalli et al. (2009) PNAS 106:15107-15512). To study the ion-selectivity of this Na+-release channel we measured voltage-dependent inhibition of IP with external solutions containing different cations (120-125 mM). This inhibition followed the sequence: Na+o >Li+o > guanidinium+o >aminoguanidinium+o > acetamidinium+o ∼diaminoguanidinium+o ∼formamidinium+o ∼Cs+o ∼K+o ∼N-Methyl-D-Glucamine (NMG+o).Ouabain-sensitive currents in the absence of Na+o and K+o were also measured. An inward current (possibly representing leakage through the Na-exclusive site when the shared sites are empty) was observed in NMG+o, guanidinium+o and aminoguanidinium+o. The other cations tested induced ouabain-sensitive outward currents at all voltages. Ouabain-sensitive current amplitude in 120 mM acetamidinium+o was similar to maximal K+o-induced IP. Without Na+o, [acetamidinium +o] of outwardly-directed current gave K0.5acet+ ∼10 mM indicating that this ion acts as a low-affinity K+ surrogate. Consistently, in sheep kidney purified enzyme preparations, both acetamidinium+ and formamidinium+ induced ouabain-dependent ATPase activity (K0.5acet = 80 mM, K0.5form = 113 mM, K0.5K+= 0.9 mM). Transport was confirmed by means of ouabain-sensitive C14-acetamidinium uptake. Our results indicate that acetamidinium+ and formamidinium+ can be transported like K+ by the Na/K pump. Molecular dynamics simulations based on an atomic model are used to explain organic cation coordination in the occluded form. Supported by NIH DK083859 and GM062342.
Fatal Pseudomembranous Colitis Associated with a Variant Clostridium difficile Strain Not Detected by Toxin A Immunoassay

Toxin A variant strains of Clostridium difficile cause serious disease and are undetectable in clinical laboratories that use only toxin A immunoassays for C. difficile testing.
Fatal arrhythmia following deodorant inhalation

Abstract With the removal from the general marketplace of volatile hydrocarbons which have been previously abused by “thrill-seekers”, new and often unlikely products are now being exploited by those who which to escape reality. Many of these products have proven harmful. An example of such an unusual product is reported in this case of a sixteen-year-old male who inhaled Arrid Extra-Dry aerosol deodorant and subsequently died following ventricular fibrillation. The only findings at autopsy were cerebral edema, pulmonary edema and generalized visceral congestion.
Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging of the rat heart

It has been hypothesized that free radical metabolism, oxygenation and nitric oxide generation in biological organs such as the heart may vary over the spatially defined tissue structure. To address fundamental questions regarding the role of spatially localized alterations in radical metabolism, oxygenation and nitric oxide in the pathophysiology of cellular injury during ischaemia, we have developed instrumentation optimized for 3D spatial and 3D or 4D spectral-spatial imaging of free radicals in the isolated perfused rat heart at 1.2 GHz. Using this instrumentation, high-quality 3D spectral-spatial imaging of nitroxide metabolism was performed as well as spatially localized measurements of oxygen concentrations, based on the oxygen-dependent linewidth broadening observed. In these spectral-spatial images, submillimetre resolution was observed enabling visualization of the left ventricular and right ventricular myocardium. With 3D spatial imaging using single-line labels, resolutions down to 100 to 200 microm were obtained enabling visualization of the ventricles, aortic root and proximal coronary arteries. Using metal complexes which trap nitric oxide, measurement and imaging of nitric oxide generation during ischaemia was performed. With the use of 15N isotope labelling it was possible to map the metabolic pathway of this nitric oxide generation. Thus, EPR imaging is a powerful tool which can provide unique information regarding the spatial localization of free radicals, oxygen and nitric oxide in biological organs and tissues.
A case series of three patients with hyper IgD syndrome

Abstract Rationale This case series brings to light three newly diagnosed cases of Hyper IgD Syndrome (HIDS), a rare inherited periodic fever with only 193 reported cases world-wide through May 2003. Methods Three patients were diagnosed with HIDS and their clinical and laboratory data are presented. Results The first patient presented as a 6-year-old boy with a history of three febrile episodes to 104°F and cervical adenopathy. Laboratories revealed a markedly elevated WBC with neutrophilia, a C-reactive protein (CRP) of 9.3 mg/dL (normal 0.0-0.8 mg/dL), an IgD of 306 mg/dL (normal 0-14 mg/dL), and a normal IgA. The second patient presented as an 11-year-old girl of Irish-Italian-Syrian decent with a history of recurrent fevers, cervical adenopathy, and abdominal pain often mimicking appendicitis since the age of 2 months. Her laboratories revealed an elevated IgD of 59 mg/dL, an elevated IgA of 487 mg/dL (normal 59-314 mg/dL), and a normal CRP. The third patient presented as a 33-year-old woman with a history of recurrent fevers, cervical adenopathy, markedly elevated WBC counts, and varying symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rashes since the age of 6 years. Her laboratories revealed a normal WBC count, IgA, and CRP, but an elevated IgD of 430 mg/dL. Conclusions While there is no increased mortality with HIDS, morbidity can be significant. There are, however, no proven effective treatment options available. Nevertheless, better physician awareness of the syndrome can lead more often to a correct diagnosis and can validate a patient's symptoms while avoiding unnecessary testing and use of medications, especially antibiotics.
Thermo-optomechanical oscillations in high-Q ZBLAN microspheres

We report stable thermo-optomechanical oscillations in high-Q-spherical ZBLAN microcavities. The oscillations are manifested as a complex combination of fast and slow oscillation periods. This behavior appears to be a consequence of the interplay between the negative thermo-optic effect, thermal expansion, and the Kerr effect. We have characterized the oscillatory behavior and measured the corresponding frequencies as a function of input power, wavelength detuning, and loaded optical quality factor. Our analysis shows that, as a gas sensor in the mid-IR spectral region, this thermo-optomechanical oscillator is two orders of magnitude more sensitive than previously demonstrated hybrid microtoroidal oscillators operating in the near-IR spectral region.
Validation of Object Recognition Framework on Android Mobile Platform

In recent years there has been great interest in implementing object recognition frame work on mobile phones. This has stemmed from the fact the advances in object recognition algorithm and mobile phone capabilities have built a congenial ecosystem. Application developers on mobile platforms are trying to utilize the object recognition technology to build better human computer interfaces. This approach is in the nascent phase and proper application framework is required. In this paper, we propose a framework to overcome design challenges and provide an evaluation methodology to assess the system performance. We use the emerging Android mobile platform to implement and test the framework. We performed a case study using the proposal and reported the test result. This assessment will help developers make wise decisions about their application design. Furthermore, the Android API developers could use this information to provide better interfaces to the third party developers. The design and evaluation methodology could be extended to other mobile platforms for a wider consumer base.
Suicides and Suicide Attempts Following Homicide: Victim–Suspect Relationship, Weapon Type, and Presence of Antidepressants

This study used linked, official data for population-based surveillance of homicides, suicides, and homicide–suicides in four U.S. states and four counties. Among 1,503 homicide incidents, less tha...
Causes and Attributions of Depression During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a complex biological process occurring in a significant psychosocial context. Information about biological alterations in depression and pregnancy provides some clues as to why many pregnant women experience some of the symptoms of depression. Because it is unlikely that there is a single determinant, causal attributions may determine more of how depression during pregnancy is treated and experienced than focusing on biochemical correlates of depressive symptoms. Studies considered here point out the diagnostic confusion between the normal course of pregnancy and depressive disorders, and suggest interpretations and interventions which may be helpful when depression during pregnancy does occur.
Intravascular MR imaging and intravascular MR-guided interventions.

Intravascular MR technology, using an intravascularly placed MR receiver probe to acquire high-resolution angiographic MR images (i.e. intravascular MR imaging) and to guide cardiovascular interventional therapies (i.e. intravascular MR-guided interventions), is a new, very attractive development in the field of MR imaging. The new technology offers unique advantages for cardiovascular imaging and interventions, including superior contrast capability and multiplanar imaging capabilities without the use of contrast agents and with no risk of ionizing radiation. Thecombination of intravascular MR techniques with other advanced MR imaging techniques, such as functional MR imaging, will open new avenues for the future comprehensive management of cardiovascular atherosclerotic disease. Further improvements in intravascular MR fluoroscopy with true real-time display, analogous to X-ray fluoroscopy, will dramatically establish the role of intravascular MR technology in modern medicine.
Control of insulin secretion during fasting in man

During early starvation, declines in blood glucose and insulin levels occur concomitantly. To determine whether extracellular glucopenia is the primary signal for decreased insulin secretion, i.v. glucose was given as a continuous infusion to 7 lean male subjects throughout a 72-hr fast at the rate needed to maintain plasma glucose at the normal postabsorptive levels. Five lean male control subjects were fasted without glucose infusion. The acute insulin response to 5 g of i.v. glucose was determined after the fast in both groups. Significant glucopenia and concomitant insulinopenia were observed by 24 hr of fasting alone. In contrast, despite constant plasma glucose concentration of 86 ± 3 mg/dl (±SEM) in the subjects receiving glucose infusion, significant insulinopenia was observed by 48 hr (p < 0.01) and there was essentially no difference in the mean insulin levels of the two groups. Significant free fatty acid increments were observed and comparable in both groups; however, the ketogenic response was significantly blunted by continuous glucose infusion (p < 0.001 at 72 hr). Plasma glucagon increased significantly (p < 0.001) by 48 hr in fasting alone and remained unchanged in the group receiving glucose. There was no significant change in urinary catecholamine excretion in the subjects receiving glucose. The acute insulin response to i.v. glucose was similar in both the starved and infused groups when compared to postabsorptive subjects. These data suggest extracellular glucopenia is not a prerequisite for insulin-openia in starvation.
Using FTIR-ATR Spectroscopy To Teach the Internal Standard Method

The internal standard method is widely applied in quantitative analyses. However, most analytical chemistry textbooks either omit this topic or only provide examples of a single-point internal standardization. An experiment designed to teach students how to prepare an internal standard calibration curve is described. The experiment is a modified version of an experiment that uses the internal standard method to quantify the percentage of vinyl acetate in poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate). Students gain a good understanding of how to apply the internal standard method as the concentration of internal standard changes throughout the experiment. The experiment also provides students with hands-on experience with the use of Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy.
Written and Computer-Mediated Accounting Communication Skills: An Employer Perspective.

Communication skills are a fundamental personal competency for a successful career in accounting. What is not so obvious is the specific written communication skill set employers look for and the extent those skills are computer mediated. Using survey research, this article explores the particular skills employers desire and their satisfaction level with new hires. Results indicate that basic writing mechanics are the skills in highest demand, followed by effective documentation. Except for email proficiency, employers do not consider computer-mediated communication competencies as important as traditional business communication skills. The article concludes with curricular implications for accounting communication.