cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recipient rs1045642 Polymorphism Is Associated With Office Blood Pressure at 1-Year Post Kidney Transplantation: A Single Center Pharmacogenetic Cohort Pilot Study

Background: Corticosteroids are associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD), as well as water and salt retention, leading to hypertension. They are substrates for P-glycoprotein, a protein coded by the highly polymorphic ABCB1 gene. We hypothesized that one ABCB1 polymorphism, rs1045642, is associated with blood pressure and BMD parameters at 1-year post kidney transplantation (KT). Methods: Rs1045642 was genotyped using pyrosequencing in 40 KT recipients. Both dominant (CC vs. CT + TT) and codominant (CC vs. CT vs. TT) genetic models (analysis of variance from linear regressions) were adjusted for confounding variables (age, sex, type of nephropathy, glomerular filtration rate, and corticosteroid use at 1 year). Results: Rs1045642 genotypes were significantly associated with systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure 1-year post-transplantation, independent of the genetic model used (adjusted codominant model: SBP p-value = 0.015, DBP p-value = 0.038; adjusted dominant model: SBP p-value = 0.003, DBP p-value = 0.011). A non-statistically significant trend was observed for an association between rs1045642 and BMD change at 1-year post-KT. Conclusions: Rs1045642 is significantly associated with higher BP 1 year after KT. Further investigations are necessary to confirm the role of rs1045642 in corticosteroid-related adverse effects.
Pilot Study of Intra-Aortic Balloon Occlusion to Limit Morbidity in Patients with Adherent Placentation Undergoing Cesarean Hysterectomy

Objective We study whether using an intra-aortic balloon (IAB) during cesarean hysterectomy decreases delivery morbidity in patients with suspected morbidly adherent placentation. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of deliveries complicated by suspected abnormal placentation between 2009 and 2016 comparing maternal and neonatal outcomes with an IAB placed prior to cesarean hysterectomy versus no IAB. The primary outcome included quantified blood loss (QBL). Results Thirty-five cases were reviewed, 16 with IAB and 19 without IAB. No difference was seen in median QBL between the two groups (1,351 vs. 1,397 mL; p = 0.90). There were no significant differences in overall surgical complications (19% IAB, 21% no IAB; p = 0.86), bladder complications (12 vs. 21%; p = 0.66), intensive care unit admissions (12 vs. 26%; p = 0.41), surgical duration (2.9 vs. 2.8 hour; p = 0.83), or blood transfusions (median 2 vs. 2; p = 0.27) between the two groups. There was one groin hematoma at the balloon site that was managed conservatively. There were no complications involving thrombosis or limb ischemia in the IAB group. Conclusion While we did not detect statistically significant differences, larger studies may be warranted given the potential for extreme morbidity in these cases. This study highlights the potential use of an IAB in the management of these cases.
Graphene Microelectrode Arrays for Electrical and Optical Measurements of Human Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Cell–cell communication plays a pivotal role in biological systems’ coordination and function. Electrical properties have been linked to specification and differentiation of stem cells into targeted progeny, such as neurons and cardiomyocytes. Currently, there is a critical need in developing new ways to complement fluorescent indicators, such as Ca2+-sensitive dyes, for direct electrophysiological measurements of cells and tissue. Here, we report a unique transparent and biocompatible graphene-based electrical platform that enables electrical and optical investigation of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes’ (hESC-CMs) intracellular processes and intercellular communication. Graphene, a honeycomb sp2 hybridized two-dimensional carbon lattice, was synthesized using low pressure chemical vapor deposition system, and was tested for biocompatibility. Au and graphene microelectrode arrays (MEAs) were fabricated using well-established microfabrication methods. Au and graphene MEAs were interfaced with hESC-CMs to perform both optical and electrical recordings. Optical imaging and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of monolayer graphene. Viability assay showed biocompatibility of graphene. Electrochemical characterization proved graphene’s functional activity. Nitric acid treatment further enhanced the electrochemical properties of graphene. Graphene electrodes’ transparency enabled both optical and electrical recordings from hESC-CMs. Graphene MEA detected changes in beating frequency and field potential duration upon β-adrenergic receptor agonist treatment. The transparent graphene platform enables the investigation of both intracellular and intercellular communication processes and will create new avenues for bidirectional communication (sensing and stimulation) with electrically active tissues and will set the ground for investigations reported diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson’s disease and arrhythmias.
Combined mechanisms of neural firing rate homeostasis.

Spikes in the membrane potential of neurons comprise the currency of information processing in the brain. The ability of neurons to convert any information present across their multiple inputs into a significant modification to the pattern of their emitted spikes depends on the rate at which they emit spikes. If the mean rate is near the neuron’s maximum, or if the rate is near zero, then changes in the inputs have minimal impact on the neuron’s firing rate. Therefore, a neuron needs to control its mean rate. Protocols that either dramatically increase or decrease a neuron’s firing rate lead to multiple compensatory changes that return the neuron’s mean rate toward its prior value. In this primer, first as a summary of our previous work (Cannon and Miller in J Neurophysiol 116(5):2004–2022, 2016; Cannon and Miller in J Math Neurosci 7(1):1, 2017), we describe the advantages and disadvantages of having more than one such control mechanism responding to the neuron’s firing rate. We suggest how problems of two, coexisting, potentially competing mechanisms can be overcome. Key requirements are: (1) the control be of a distribution of values, which the controlled variable achieves over a fast timescale compared to the timescale of the control system; (2) at least one of the control mechanisms be nonlinear; and (3) the two control systems are satisfied by a stable distribution or range of values that can be achieved by the variable. We show examples of functional control systems, including the previously studied integral feedback controller and new simulations of a “bang–bang” controller, that allow for compensation when inputs to the system change. Finally, we present new results describing how the underlying signal processing pathways would produce mechanisms of dual control, as opposed to a single mechanism with two outputs, and compare the responses of these systems to changes of input statistics.
Teachers as Agents of Change Within Indigenous Education Programs in Guatemala and Mexico

Ja´i a´tel ini ja´ ya yak ta na´el jun ilaw ta Guatemala sok ta Mexico. Ban la yich ilel te me beenem te bin chajpambil yu´un tej chapetik sakil winik antsetik yu´un Estados unidos te yakalik ta sp´ijubtesel jp´ijubteswanejetike. Sjok´oyel ?bin ut´il a te jnopojeletik te ayik ta k´ubel nojptesel yu´un spamal balumilal yaxa tuunuk yu´uniok k´alal ya sujtik ta slumalik? Te bin ut´il la yich´ilel te a´tele la yich´tuuntesel jamal sjok´oyel, jukaw ta k´op, lok´ombail, stsajtayel sok tsibabil junetik, son nish sk´eluyel te a´tel. Ya stuuntes lekil sp´ijilal lumetik te tsibablilikixe. Yas skoltay ta sle´el bin ut´il yas slok´es ta mosoinel te lumetik sok nix yak´el ta na´el spijsil ta chajp chapetik te yak jelbellik te snael lekilale.
Analysis of Cable-Stiffened Space Structures

A method is presented for computing the nonlinear dynamic response of three-dimensional cable-stiffened structures. The nonlinear dynamic equations are reduced to a smaller system by expanding the unknown variables as a series of mode shapes which were found by an eigenvalue analysis of the linear dynamic equations. The method is applied to a single plane cable-stayed bridge. Results are obtained for linear and nonlinear dynamic response due to earthquake, vortex excitation, and wind gusting. It is confirmed that a linear analysis is suitable for cable-stayed bridges.
Micromechanical compressive response of a zeolite single crystal

In this work the mechanical properties of a widely used zeolite catalyst, ZSM-5, are measured. Single crystals of the ZSM-5, of average size 500 microns, are prepared using an organic template molecule. Testing is performed on the single crystal size scale. An in-house microdeformation tester is designed and manufactured. Loading on the crystal is provided by a high precision stepper motor. Both crystal displacement and applied load are continually monitored through a computer. The entire testing assembly is placed under an optical microscope and a CCD camera is used to obtain real time optical images of the deformation. In this way monotonic and cyclic loading compression stress strain curves are generated. The material is seen to have an average elastic modulus of 4 GPa. It is also seen to be brittle and undergo a gradual stiffness deterioration through a microcracking process. Crystal anisotropy is also investigated by performing two directional tests. However, for the [100] and [010] directions little mechanical anisotropy is observed.
Collection and Preparation of Human Biological Specimens for Contaminant Analysis

The measurement of chemicals, their metabolites, or reaction products in biological matrices is a technique known as biomonitoring of exposure. Biomonitoring is not a new technique, but has been used since the late 1800s in occupational exposure assessment. Today, biomonitoring is usedin both occupational and environmental medicine and is increasingly used to evaluate “background” or typical human exposures to environmental contaminants to assist in risk assessment, risk mitigation, and disease prevention.
Intermolecular Interactions and Vibrational Perturbations within Mixtures of 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Thiocyanate and Water

A Raman spectroscopic analysis of the room temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methlimidazolium thiocyanate, [EMIM][SCN], has revealed that certain stretching vibrations associated with both the ani...
Electron Ghost Imaging

In this Letter we report a demonstration of electron ghost imaging. A digital micromirror device directly modulates the photocathode drive laser to control the transverse distribution of a relativistic electron beam incident on a sample. Correlating the structured illumination pattern to the total sample transmission then retrieves the target image, avoiding the need for a pixelated detector. In our example, we use a compressed sensing framework to improve the reconstruction quality and reduce the number of shots compared to raster scanning a small beam across the target. Compressed electron ghost imaging can reduce both acquisition time and sample damage in experiments for which spatially resolved detectors are unavailable (e.g., spectroscopy) or in which the experimental architecture precludes full frame direct imaging.
Emerging treatment options for patients with p53-pathway-deficient CLL.

Over the past 40 years, p53 has been the most widely studied protein in cancer biology. Originally thought to be an oncogene due to its stabilization in many cancers, it is now considered to be one...
Prevalence and significance of cranial nerve imaging abnormalities in patients with hereditary neuropathies: Clinical implications at the skull base.

Objective To estimate the prevalence and significance of cranial nerve (CN) imaging abnormalities in patients with hereditary neuropathy and discuss clinical implications. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from patients at four tertiary academic medical centers with hereditary neuropathy diagnoses who had undergone gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain or skull base between 2004 and 2018. MRI scans, as well as computed tomography imaging when available, were reviewed and bivariable analysis was performed to identify predictors of CN abnormalities on imaging. Results Among 39 patients meeting study criteria, 11 had clinical CN deficits (28%) and 8 had CN abnormalities on imaging (21%). Of the patients with CN abnormalities on imaging, half had CN deficits (4/8) and only a quarter had imaging abnormalities of the CNs with the deficits (2/8). Imaging abnormalities were found in varied CNs, including CNs III, V, VII, and the VII/VIII complex in the internal auditory canal. MRI obtained for the purpose of evaluating CN deficits had a statistically significant increased likelihood of containing CN imaging abnormalities. However, CN deficits themselves were not predictive of imaging abnormalities. Conclusion Thickening and enhancement of CNs on MRI may be found in approximately 1/5 of patients with hereditary neuropathies and are inconsistently associated with clinical deficits. These imaging findings should not be mistaken for neoplastic and infectious processes as they may be manifestations of the patients' underlying genetic neuropathy. Level of evidence 4.
Comparison of 10/20/40 GHz Quadrature VCOs for W-band FMCW Radar Systems in 90nm SiGe BiCMOS Technology

This paper presents and compares quadrature voltage-controlled oscillators (QVCOs) operating at 10, 20, and 40 GHz for use within W-band frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar systems. The same circuit topology and a 90nm SiGe BiCMOS 9HP technology are used for each band. The QVCO employs Colpitts oscillators which are capacitively coupled in a ring structure. This passive coupling results in improved phase noise compared to active injection techniques. Each differential Colpitts subcircuit uses an AC-shorted transformer-coupled varactor structure to allow for wide continuous tuning range with low phase noise. Estimated quality factors of the tanks are 16/11/6 for the 10/20/40 GHz VCOs, where the higher Q is achieved through careful optimization of the transformer (with Q of ~35 for each band) and varactor structures. Our results show that the 10/20/40-GHz QVCOs achieve phase noises at 1-MHz offset of -122/-114/-105 dBc/Hz, continuous tuning ranges of 14%/10%/4%, and figures-of-merit of -181/-179/-174 dBc/Hz, respectively. After multiplication to 80 GHz, phase noises would be -104/-102/-98 dBc/Hz, respectively, indicating that the lower frequency design is preferable for the FMCW radar system, provided that high-performance multipliers are available. Keywords—Voltage-controlled oscillators, quadrature VCO, SiGe, BiCMOS, technology benchmarking, FMCW radar.
Integrating Technology to Improve Teacher Preparation.

Many recently developed technologies have the potential to significantly improve teacher preparation programs. In this article, I describe three specific examples of integrating technology into bot...
Believe the H.I.P.E.: Hematology-Oncology Inter Professional Education to improve provider collaboration at an inpatient tertiary medical center.

10538Background: With projected provider shortages and increasing pharmaceutical complexity, Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) and Pharmacists are becoming increasingly utilized members of hematol...
Teaching Frankenstein and Race

This article considers how we might teach the discourse of ‘race’ in Mary Shelley’s novel. I open by surveying how the language of race that threads through Frankenstein has been treated in the nov...
It is all relative: Contextual influences on boredom and neural correlates of regulatory processes

Interest in the influences on and strategies to mitigate boredom has grown immensely. Boredom emerges in contexts in which people have difficulty paying attention, such as underchallenging relative to optimally challenging conditions. The current study probed contextual influences on peoples' experience of boredom by manipulating the order with which people performed easy and optimally challenging conditions of a task (N = 113). We measured frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and theta/beta as neural correlates of self-regulatory and attentional control processes, respectively. Results showed self-reported boredom was higher in the easy condition when the optimal condition was completed before it. Similarly, participant's FAA shifted rightward from the first to the second task when the optimal condition was completed prior to the easy condition, indicating that self-regulatory processes were strongly engaged under these context-specific conditions. Theta/beta was lower during the easy relative to the optimal condition, regardless of the task order, indicating that maintaining attention in the easy condition was more difficult. No relations between perceptions of the task and neural correlates were observed. Exploratory analyses revealed higher levels of variability in FAA and theta/beta were associated with less enjoyment and more boredom, respectively. We speculate these observations reflect the less consistent engagement of self-regulatory and attentional control and, in turn, might play a role in peoples' subjective experience. We discuss the implications of our findings for our understanding of influences on and strategies to mitigate boredom, as well as how attentional and self-regulatory processes operate under conditions boredom typically emerges.
Significance of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody testing during COVID-19 vaccine allocation.

Objective To assess the value of using SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody testing to prioritize the vaccination of susceptible individuals as part of a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan when vaccine supply is limited. Methods An extended susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) compartmental model was used to simulate COVID-19 spread when considering diagnosis, isolation, and vaccination of a cohort of 1 million individuals. The scenarios modeled represented 4 pandemic severity scenarios and various times when the vaccine becomes available during the pandemic. Eligible individuals have a probability p of receiving antibody testing prior to vaccination (p = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1). The vaccine was modeled as a single dose vaccine with 90% and 70% efficacy. The value of serology testing was evaluated by comparing the infection attack rate, peak infections, peak day, and deaths. Results The use of antibody testing to prioritize the allocation of limited vaccines reduces infection attack rates and deaths. The size of the reduction depends on when the vaccine becomes available relative to the infection peak day. The largest percentage reduction in cases and deaths occurs when the vaccine is deployed before and close to the infection peak day. The reduction in the number of cases and deaths diminishes as vaccine deployment is delayed. Conclusions Antibody testing as part of the vaccination plan is an effective method to maximize the benefit of a COVID-19 vaccine. Decision-makers need to consider relative timing between the infection peak day and when the vaccine becomes available.
Evaluation of Oral Central Nervous System Depressants in Coyotes

Standardized gross behavioral observation test methods for evaluating the oral effectiveness of central nervous system (CNS) depressants in captive coyotes (Canis latrans) are described. The primary objective of this research was to develop a chemical for use in trap tabs that would reduce escape, struggling, and injuries to animals, particularly carnivores, captured in steel-jawed traps. The classes of chemicals that demonstrated potential for this purpose are the phenothiazines and the benzodiazepines. Of four phenothiazines evaluated, propiopromazine hydrochloride (HCl) and triflupromazine HCl showed desirable properties. Their onset of action was about 10 min, and the duration of major CNS depression lasted for about 24 h. Chlordiazepoxide HCl, a benzodiazepine, showed an onset of action in 30 to 40 min and a duration of 30 to 36 h. Testing these drugs in combination potentiated CNS depression. Propiopromazine and reserpine together produced symptoms of CNS depression that lasted for as long as 72 to 96 h. Potentiation was also noted with propiopromazine and chlordiazepoxide in combination with each other.
Genaue Messung der Hapten-Antikörper-Wechselwirkung

Um rechten Einblick in die Natur der Wechselwirkung eines Bindungsbereichs am Antikorper mit einer antigenen Determinante zu erhalten, mus der Biochemiker und Molekularbiologe exakte Methoden zur Hand haben, mit denen die Starke der entstehenden Bindung gemessen werden kann. Es wurden eine Anzahl von Methoden entwickelt, welche nicht nur solche Messungen erlauben, sondern die es auch gestatten, die Bivalenz von γG-Antikorpern zu beweisen und die daruberhinaus Hinweise auf die Heterogenitat der Antikorper geben.
Logical omniscience via proof complexity

The Hintikka-style modal logic approach to knowledge contains a well-known defect of logical omniscience, i.e., the unrealistic feature that an agent knows all logical consequences of her assumptions. In this paper, we suggest the following Logical Omniscience Test (LOT): an epistemic system E is not logically omniscient if for any valid in E knowledge assertion $\mathcal{A}$ of type ‘Fis known,’ there is a proof of F in E, the complexity of which is bounded by some polynomial in the length of $\mathcal{A}$. We show that the usual epistemic modal logics are logically omniscient (modulo some common complexity assumptions). We also apply LOT to evidence-based knowledge systems, which, along with the usual knowledge operator Ki(F) (‘agent iknows F’), contain evidence assertions t:F (‘t is a justification for F’). In evidence-based systems, the evidence part is an appropriate extension of the Logic of Proofs LP, which guarantees that the collection of evidence terms t is rich enough to match modal logic. We show that evidence-based knowledge systems are logically omniscient w.r.t. the usual knowledge and are not logically omniscient w.r.t. evidence-based knowledge.
Finding the Reader in Literary Computing

In the continuing controversy over the nature and status of "the poetic", the sound patterning of poetic form -- rhyme, lineation, alliteration -- has emerged as key to the debate. Cognitive science suggests a new approach to this central concern, an approach that stands to draw from resources not only in contemporary cognitive science but also in literary computing. This paper presents (1) a cognitive model of poetic sound pattern reception and (2) the results from a pilot experiment conducted using this model and TACT, a text analysis software suite. In its comparison of the differences between the visual vs. aural reception of poetic language, the results of this experiment suggest that there are differences between the experience of a poem heard vs. read silently. Though the trial nature of this experiment requires that its findings be interpreted with caution, the methodology itself directly indicates the considerable potential that the tools of literary computing have to illuminate not just the reception of poetic sound, but all acts of reading. Rather than being limited to the (stylistic) study of authors and texts, literary computing can play a valuable part in the empirical study of literary response.
Three-Dimensional Joint Kinematics Using Bone Surface Registration: A Computer Assisted Approach with an Application to the Wrist Joint in Vivo

The majority of the present knowledge of the three-dimensional kinematic behavior of skeletal joints has been acquired in studies employing cadaveric models using invasive procedures. In the wrist, the small size and complex motion of the carpal bones present a difficult challenge for an invasive kinematic analysis or external marker system. This paper describes an approach to quantify the three-dimensional kinematics of the wrist and carpal bones in vivo, using non-invasive computed tomographic (CT) imaging. The applications of this method include quantification of normal wrist motion, analysis of pathomechanics, and evaluation of surgical intervention. The approach is also applicable to other joints and imaging modalities.
Book Review: Lifting the veil on drug smuggling

Much research and public attention has been focused on the more readily apparent aspects of the illicit drug trade, namely low-level street dealing and drug abuse. Little research however, has highlighted the less visible and higher level features of drug dealing. Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling fills that void. Much like the FBI’s work on serial killers and Wright and Decker’s (1997) work on street robbers, Decker and Townsend Chapman go directly to the source, drug smugglers themselves, to learn about that aspect of drug trafficking. With the exception of some methamphetamine and marijuana, drugs abused by Americans are produced in foreign countries and then smuggled into the United States to be sold to consumers. Smuggling, that part of the drug trade whose function it is to surreptitiously transport the drugs across U.S. borders, is at the center of the current study. The book begins by summarizing the few previous studies conducted on smuggling and interdiction efforts. Building upon that past research, the authors desire to understand deterrence from the drug smuggler’s point of view. In order to do so, they effectively conduct a thorough examination of the complexities and nuances of drug smuggling. To begin, Decker and Townsend Chapman constructed a survey aimed at collecting data from two areas. The first was background information on smugglers and their operations, the second was information on the smugglers’ perception of risk, as well as what level of risk would have deterred them from smuggling. They then identified and interviewed thirty-four federal inmates who had been convicted of drug smuggling. These interviews provide the quantitative and qualitative data for the study. The book can be divided into two sections. The first, and larger, part of the book, details the characteristics of drug smugglers and of drug smuggling. As part of that depiction, the authors describe the history of drug smuggling, from the more organized distribution system of the Medellin and Cali cartels, to the present day Crime Law Soc Change (2008) 50:403–405 DOI 10.1007/s10611-008-9115-7
Catalyst Deactivation/Regeneration – Biological

Biocatalyst inactivation is caused by external stresses, including high pressures and temperatures, extreme pH's, organic media, freezing, drying, and oxidative, chelating, and denaturing agents. These stresses may result either in reversible or irreversible activity loss. The main structural and covalent mechanisms in biocatalyst inactivation such as the disulfide intra- and interexchanges, the deamidation of asparagine residues, the decomposition of disulfide bridges by β-elimination, the hydrolysis of peptide chains, the β-isomerization of asparagine and aspartic acid residues, and amino acid racemization are discussed. The strategies that have been developed to prevent biocatalyst inactivation, i.e. chemical modification immobilization, protein engineering, directed evolution, are briefly presented. Keywords: covalent and structural deactivation; reversible and irreverible inactivation; oxidation; radiation; heating; chilling; freezing; uyophilization; pH effects; solvent effects; additive effects; stabilization
A prioritized real-time wireless call degradation framework for optimal call mix selection

This paper describes a framework for selecting the optimal call mix to be admitted while employing a bandwidth degradation policy in a wireless cellular network. The optimal property is achieved by maximizing the revenue generated by different calls in a cell for the service provider. By degradation, we mean that: (1) some channels can be taken away from ongoing calls that are assigned multiple channels, and/or (2) newly admitted calls that require multiple channels get fewer than what they requested. To avoid removing more channels from calls than they could tolerate, we incorporate a new call attribute: the degradation tolerance, i.e., the number of channels a call can be degraded without sacrificing the acceptable level of quality. We also consider priorities over calls to influence the admission and/or degradation decision. Our analytical framework includes both static and dynamic scenarios. The dynamic case is enhanced with the ability to select the optimal call mix using incoming and departing handoffs, new calls, and call terminations in a recursive way, thus, resulting in a call admission policy. We also discuss how to accommodate non-real-time calls into our system. To evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, a discrete event simulation tool has been developed that models our dynamic framework built on a customized simulated annealing optimization function. Simulation results demonstrate that not only does the proposed degradation framework maximize the total revenue generated by the admitted calls in the cells, but also reduce the handoff and new call blocking probabilities.
The Next Frontier for Power/Performance Benchmarking: Energy Efficiency of Storage Subsystems

The increasing concern of energy usage in datacenters has drastically changed how the IT industry evaluates servers. The energy conscious selection of storage subsystems is the next logical step. This paper first quantifies the possible energy savings of utilizing modern storage subsystems by identifying inherent energy characteristics of next generation disk IO subsystems. Additionally, the power consumptions of a variety of workload patterns is demonstrated.
Common optical potential and peripheral processes between 1 p -shell nuclei

Elastic and inelastic scattering were measured for beams of 100-MeV $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ and 155-MeV $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ on targets of $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{16}\mathrm{O}$. These data and previously measured one-nucleon transfer data for the same four incident channels were analyzed simultaneously. A single set of optical potential parameters, fitting all the elastic scattering data, was obtained. Distorted-wave Born approximation analyses of the inelastic and transfer reactions were also done with this potential, resulting in good fits to the data. The common features in all of these peripheral collisions are emphasized.NUCLEAR REACTIONS NUCLEAR STRUCTURE $^{12}\mathrm{C}$($^{10}\mathrm{B}$, $^{10}\mathrm{B}$), $^{12}\mathrm{C}$($^{10}\mathrm{B}$, $^{10}\mathrm{B}$\ensuremath{'}), $^{16}\mathrm{O}$($^{10}\mathrm{B}$, $^{10}\mathrm{B}$), $^{16}\mathrm{O}$($^{10}\mathrm{B}$, $^{10}\mathrm{B}$\ensuremath{'}), $E=100$ MeV; $^{12}\mathrm{C}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$, $^{14}\mathrm{N}$), $^{12}\mathrm{C}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$, $^{14}\mathrm{N}$\ensuremath{'}), $^{16}\mathrm{O}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$, $^{14}\mathrm{N}$), $^{16}\mathrm{O}$($^{14}\mathrm{N}$, $^{14}\mathrm{N}$\ensuremath{'}), $E=155$ MeV; measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\theta})$; optical potentials, EFR-DWBA analyses extracted $\ensuremath{\beta}'\mathrm{s}$.
Introduction to the Galactic Cosmic Radiation

Although the astrophysical sites for the cosmic radiations and their acceleration mechanisms are still not firmly established, this radiation has turned out to be a vital contributor to our understanding of high energy phenomena in our galaxy. For example, the cosmic rays constitute approximately one-third of the energy density of the interstellar medium and, on a galactic scale, they form a relativistic gas whose pressure is important to take into account in the dynamics of galactic magnetic fields. The electronic component is a source of bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation which reveals the configurations and intensities of large scale galactic and stellar magnetic fields. The cosmic ray nuclei are the only direct and measurable sample of matter from outside the solar system. It is a unique sample since it includes all of the elements from Hydrogen up to the actinides. The isotopic abundances and elemental abundances of these nuclei convey not only the “imprint” of their nucleosynthesis origins at astrophysical sites in the galaxy, but also, through their radioactive species, reveal the time required for their acceleration and the history of their propagation in interstellar magnetic fields.
The Liver-Impaired Patient

Among all organs in the human body, the liver is the largest and carries out the greatest number of functions. The liver’s important and multiple activities impact all body systems, including the nervous system. The relationship between the liver and the brain has been known for centuries (Frerichs 1860; Lewis and Howdle 2003; Tarter et al. 1989; Wilson 1912). Patients with hepatic dysfunction frequently experience neuropsychiatric syndromes, of which the most well known is hepatic encephalopathy (Ferenci et al 2002).
CBP/p300 in cell growth, transformation, and development

CREB binding protein (CBP) and p300 were both identified initially in protein interaction assays–the former through its association with the transcription factor CREB (Chrivia et al. 1993) and the latter through its interaction with the adenoviral-transforming protein E1A (Stein et al. 1990; Eckner et al. 1994). The recognition that these two proteins, one involved in transcription and the other in cell transformation, had highly conserved sequences suggested that they had the potential to participate in a variety of cellular functions (Fig. 1). Several excellent reviews (Janknecht and Hunter 1996; Shikama et al. 1997; Giles et al. 1998) have addressed the transcriptional coactivator functions of CBP/p300; this review focuses on the involvement of these proteins in the complex biological processes that affect cell growth, transformation, and development.
Wind turbine aerodynamics using ALE---VMS: validation and the role of weakly enforced boundary conditions

In this article we present a validation study involving the full-scale NREL Phase VI two-bladed wind turbine rotor. The ALE---VMS formulation of aerodynamics, based on the Navier---Stokes equations of incompressible flows, is employed in conjunction with weakly enforced essential boundary conditions. We find that the ALE---VMS formulation using linear tetrahedral finite elements is able to reproduce experimental data for the aerodynamic (low-speed shaft) torque and cross-section pressure distribution of the NREL Phase VI rotor. We also find that weak enforcement of essential boundary conditions is critical for obtaining accurate aerodynamics results on relatively coarse boundary layer meshes. The proposed numerical formulation is also successfully applied to the aerodynamics simulation of the NREL 5MW offshore baseline wind turbine rotor.
Overcoming the challenges to successful deployment of digital video

The received quality of MPEG-2 video depends crucially on the performance of the underlying transport technology. Loss or delays in the delivery of MPEG-2 packets can result in defects such as jagged movements or screen freezes when the video is played back. Partly because of its high bandwidth and its ability to provide QoS guarantees, ATM is widely seen as an ideal transport technology for MPEG-2 video. ATM in itself, however, is not a complete solution to the successful deployment of MPEG-2 video. The ATM connections must be configured correctly, and the MPEG-2 source must be well behaved, otherwise poor performance can still result. Traffic policing is a key mechanism used by ATM to achieve its QoS guarantees. Policing will discard traffic from sources that do not stay within the bounds of the bandwidth agreed upon when the ATM connection was set up. If the MPEG- 2 source itself is badly behaved and MPEG-2 packets are lost due to policing, then the received video quality may be poor. This paper uses commercially available equipment to assess the impact on video quality of loss due to policing in an ATM network.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Exaggerated sympathetic mediated responses to behavioral or pharmacological challenges following antenatal betamethasone exposure.

Glucocorticoid administration to women at risk for preterm delivery is standard practice to enhance neonatal survival. However, antenatal betamethasone exposure (β-exposure) increases mean arterial...
Medical management of young patients with the Marfan syndrome

Abstract The Marfan syndrome can be associated with high morbidity and reduced survival, primarily from cardiovascular complications. These manifestations include abnormalities of the mitral valve and progressive dilation of the proximal aorta. In recent years medical and surgical advances have dramatically improved the outlook for patients with the Marfan syndrome. Acute medical treatment of the Marfan syndrome usually involves managing complications such as heart failure from severe mitral and/or aortic valve regurgitation. The long term treatment involves the use of β-adrenergic blockade to retard progressive dilation of the aortic root and to prevent dissection. The efficacy of this therapy has been documented in several prospective trials. Echocardiography or magnetic resonance imaging is used to evaluate the size of the aortic root, allowing for frequent non-invasive follow-up. These techniques can also be used to gauge the effectiveness of β-blockade, detect cardiovascular complications, and help to determine the optimal timing for surgical interventions. Composite graft repair of the aortic valve and ascending aorta is a life-saving procedure in patients with the Marfan syndrome with severe dilation of the aortic root. β-adrenergic blockade should be continued after surgery to protect against arterial dilation and dissection elsewhere.
The relative impact of individual sexual desire and couple desire discrepancy on satisfaction in heterosexual couples

Sexual desire has been shown to be positively related to sexual and relationship satisfaction. Sexual desire discrepancy has received relatively little empirical attention in the context of dyads, though research shows that larger discrepancies in desire may be associated with lower satisfaction outcomes. The relative importance of sexual desire and sexual desire discrepancy in predicting sexual and relationship satisfaction was examined in a sample of 133 heterosexual couples. Men and women were equally likely to be the member of the couple with lower sexual desire relative to their partner. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that individual sexual desire for one's partner significantly predicted sexual satisfaction for women and men, whereas sexual desire discrepancy significantly predicted sexual satisfaction for men only. However, in predicting relationship satisfaction, individual sexual desire for partner is significantly related to women's relationship satisfaction, whereas sexual d...
Screening of Medicinal Plants for PPARα and PPARγ Activation and Evaluation of Their Effects on Glucose Uptake and 3T3-L1 Adipogenesis

Medicinal plants are a rich source of ligands for nuclear receptors. The present study was aimed to screen a collection of plant extracts for PPARα/γ-activating properties and identify the active extract that can stimulate cellular glucose uptake without enhancing the adipogenesis. A reporter gene assay was performed to screen ethanolic extracts of 263 plant species, belonging to 94 families, for activation of PPARα and PPARγ. Eight extracts showed activation of PPARγ, while 22 extracts showed activation of PPARα. The extracts of five plants (Daphne gnidium, Illicium anisatum, Juniperus virginiana, Terminalia chebula, and Thymelaea hirsuta) showed activation of both PPARα and PPARγ and out of them, D. gnidium and T. hirsuta markedly increased PPARα/γ protein expression. All five extracts showed an increase in cellular glucose uptake. Of the five dual agonists, T. chebula and T. hirsuta did not show any increase in differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, but I. anisatum caused an increase in adipogenesis, while D. gnidium and J. virginiana were toxic to adipocytes. The adipogenic effect of rosiglitazone was antagonized by T. chebula and T. hirsuta. It was concluded that T. hirsuta and T. chebula retain the property of elevating glucose uptake as PPARα/γ dual agonists without the undesired side effect of adipogenesis. This is the first report to reveal the PPARα/γ dual agonistic action and glucose uptake enhancing property of T. hirsuta and T. chebula.
Synthetic environment technologies in STOW 97

The synthetic theater of war (STOW) is the major application of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) thrust in advanced distributed simulation (ADS). The STOW Program focuses on an advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD) termed STOW 97 sponsored by DARPA with the United States Atlantic Command (USACOM). The successful implementation of STOW 97 technologies in November 1997 with the United Endeavor 98-1 exercise will mark the full operational capacity of the USACOM Joint Training, Analysis and Simulation Center. To support ADS applications up to the Joint Task Force level, STOW seeks to develop and demonstrate technologies enabling the integration of war-fighting through virtual and constructive simulations from geographically distributed locations in a common synthetic battlespace.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of promethazine hydrochloride on the release of gastrin in the dog.

ANTIHISTAMTNIC drugs do not inhibit acid secretion stimulated by histamine or insulin in the dog, but given intravenously they do suppress the secretory response to endogenous gastrin1,2. Payne et al.2, after testing several antihistamines, suggested that the specific pharmacological mechanism of this phenomenon was their atropine like (anticholinergic) effect. It is, however, difficult to reconcile this explanation with the fact that the vagal phase of acid secretion, stimulated by insulin hypo-glycaemia, was apparently unaffected by the antihistaminics1.
New coupled-reaction-channels formalism for nuclear reactions

A set of coupled integral equations (CIE) for multichannel nuclear reactions is considered which appears to have some advantages over the conventional coupled-reaction-channel (CRC) equations when transfer channels must be included. Both the CIE and CRC formalism are based on the assumption that the system has a limited number of cluster type intermediate states available to it. The CIE have a connected kernel while those of the CRC do not. In addition, the troublesome nonorthogonality terms of the CRC formalism have no counterpart in the CIE formalism. The CIE are compared with those of the CRC formalism. The CIE for a simple model for deuteron scattering from a structureless target are presented as an explicit example.
True color image analysis of fluorochromic bone biopsies

A true color digital image processing technique has been developed to search for specified colors in a medical image for quantification of areas of interest. The technique is clinically being used on microscopic fluorochromic bone biopsy images to quantify new bone growth. Based on a user supplied training set, a multispectral classification of pixel values is performed and used for segmenting the image. Good results were obtained when compared to manual tracings of new bone growth performed by an orthopedic surgeon. At a 95% confidence level, the hypothesis that there is no difference between the two methods can be accepted. Work is in progress to test bone biopsies with different colored stains and further optimize the analysis process using three-dimensional spectral ordering techniques. >
Microporous Polysaccharide Hemospheres Do Not Enhance Abdominal Infection in a Rat Model Compared with Gelatin Matrix

Abstract Background: Residual topical hemostatic material can serve as a nidus for infection or enhance infection in an already contaminated wound. A newly approved agent, Microporous Polysaccharid...
Lipopolysaccharide enhances cytolysis and inflammatory cytokine induction in bovine alveolar macrophages exposed to Pasteurella (Mannheimia) haemolytica leukotoxin.

Pasteurella (Mannheimia) haemolytica leukotoxin (Lkt) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are the primary virulence factors contributing to the pathogenesis of lung injury in bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis. Previous studies have characterized in vitro responses of bovine alveolar macrophages (AMs) to Lkt and LPS. Activation of AMs with Lkt or LPS causes induction of proinflammatory cytokines, and Lkt causes cytolysis of AMs at higher concentrations. Since AMs are exposed to both of these bacterial virulence factors during disease, previous studies may have underestimated the possibility of functional interactions between Lkt and LPS. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of simultaneous exposure to both Lkt and LPS on AM cytolysis and proinflammatory cytokine expression. Using cellular leakage of lactate dehydrogenase as an indirect measure of cytolysis, we studied AM responses to Lkt alone, LPS alone and Lkt+LPS. We found that 80-200 pg/ml LPS, which does not itself cause cytolysis, synergistically enhanced the cytolysis induced by 2-5 Lkt units (LU)/ml Lkt. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that synergism between Lkt and LPS resulted in increased levels of IL-8 mRNA, and that the kinetic patterns of TNF-alpha and IL-8 mRNA expression induced by Lkt+LPS differed from those induced by each agent separately. Finally, the WEHI 164 (clone 13) bioassay was used to show that Lkt/LPS synergism resulted in enhanced secretion of biologically active TNF-alpha. These results provide direct evidence of synergism between Lkt and LPS in AM cytolysis and inflammatory cytokine expression. Additional studies to characterize the molecular basis of this phenomenon are indicated.
The impact of surveillance and rapid reduction in immunosuppression to control BK virus-related graft injury in kidney transplantation.

We prospectively screened 609 consecutive kidney (538) and kidney-pancreas (71) transplant recipients for BK viremia over a 4-year interval using polymerase chain reaction viral load detection and protocol kidney biopsies. We found that BK viremia is common at our center: total cases 26.7%, cases during first year 21.3% (mean 4 months), and recipients with ≥ 10 000 copies/ml 12.3%. We found few predictive clinical or demographic risk factors for any BK viremia or viral loads ≥ 10,000 copies/ml, other than prior treatment of biopsy confirmed acute rejection and/or higher immunosuppressive blood levels of tacrolimus (P = 0.001) or mycophenolate mofetil (P = 0.007). Viral loads at diagnosis ( 185 000 copies/ml at diagnosis were predictive of BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN; OR: 113.25, 95% CI: 17.22-744.6, P < 0.001). Surveillance for BK viremia and rapid reduction of immunosuppression limited the incidence of BKVAN to 1.3%. The addition of leflunomide or ciprofloxacin to immunosuppressive dose reduction did not result in greater rates of viral clearance. These data support the role of early surveillance for BK viremia to limit the impact on transplant outcome, although the most effective schedule for screening awaits further investigation.